The high-end running shoe provider, Japanese company ASICS, believes that a sound body ensures a sound mind. The company is thus hitting the markets with its new campaign ‘I move me’ cherishing the joy of movement.

With the aim to reposition itself in the market, the ‘I move me themed efforts resulted in a TV spot named ‘wake up’ which starts with following around a woman who set out for her morning run, as well as a couple of other athletes moving while their energy illuminates the city.

The company’s global creative agency; Saatchi & Saatchi’s brand innovation director Karl Dunn says that the concept of a poor spin class or a bad run does not exist, “You always feel better after you do it. We wanted to show what that feels like”

Dunn gives the idea credits to the bike rides he went for early in the mornings and suggests that it is an unconventional approach towards high-end running shoes, identified mainly for their efficient performance and the scientific engineering. Dunn says that competitors have put in great efforts. Adidas, Under Armour and Nike, might work hard but their attention is focused on external results.

While ASICS has been a seventy-year-old pioneer brand in establishing mind body spirit movement. ASICS is an abbreviation for Anima Sana Corpore Sano that is the Latin original for the English translation “sound mind, sound body”. Dunn believes this is essentially valuable to the millennials who say they don’t care as much about the competition or performance but they just want to move and this is what this brand is actually doing, it is motivating people to move. The people are looked at as competitive but the brand sees people who are moving and who should be helped to get moving.

The latest campaign is introduced as running shoes are facing low sales, while NPD group reports a negative trend of sales in the recent quarters, and all the brands have shown a decline in sales over time, says industry analyst and NPD vice president, Matt Powell. He believes that once people wore such shoes as a fashion statement, not only for running. Nevertheless, ever since the trend was over in 2013, this category has suffered.

Dunn thinks the latest campaign is running in all areas. Local Saatchi & Saatchi agencies will put efforts to establish their own operations while the campaign is planned to be serviced largely out of Tokyo and Los Angeles. Dunn says that this is only the start and he is impatient to see what this will look like in coming 5 years.

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