ASICS running shoes, beloved worldwide by running enthusiasts and professionals alike, are designed for a multitude of surfaces and styles of running. The Japanese global giant partnered with Tokyo-based creative agency Ultra Super New to create a global video campaign promoting their eclectic line of running shoes. Ultra Super New teamed up with producer Jamie Morris and Dir./ DP Ivan Kovac to execute a bold, cinematic vision of eclectic running in the Land of the Rising Sun. “Mix Up Your Run” was born!
Japan is a visually stunning mix of pristine nature and state of the art architecture, alongside a technically advanced milieu. From mountain ranges to metro cityscapes the palette is rich.
In addition to innovation, Japanese culture values ancient tradition and formality. You can’t just set up shop and roll video, even on public property. Furthermore, domestic film crews and rental houses are wary of dealing with foreign productions.
ASICS envisioned a pair of multiracial, multiethnic athletes to star in the video. However, 97% of the country is ethnically Japanese. The casting net would have to span the globe in order to find the perfect duo.
Our global reach – technical and cultural expertise, coupled with our homegrown connections in Tokyo – made us the perfect production team to execute this bold project. We built a powerhouse production crew, cast the perfect running duo, and secured diverse locations that saved time and money and unified the look of the piece.
Perhaps the most impressive set piece we secured was filming at Tokyo’s exclusive Olympic Park grounds and stadium in Komazawa – harkening back to ASICS’ Olympic heritage as the creator of wrestling shoes for the 1968 Mexico games. Urban settings, including the pedestrian crossover walkways in the Shinjuku metropolis section of Tokyo, are stunning and modern.
STRONG: training depicts ascending stair-sprints in stadium and urban locations, rain or shine.
FAST: medium sprints and races in stadium and urban locations.
The second location in the pristine mountains of Okutama provided country road and trail settings, only two hours away from our Tokyo base of operations.
TOUGH: performance training on both rocky and sandy hiking trails in mountain locations.
LONG: distance runs on smooth but stiff country roads.
We flew in two talented runners selected from a pool of hundreds to serve the eclectic and diverse concept of the “Mix Up Your Run” campaign.
The final product transcends a simple cataloging of ASICS’ eclectic running shoes. “Mix Up Your Run” is a cinematic journey that inspires running enthusiasts to expand their training to any and all running surfaces, however they run.
