No one wants to be alone

ASICS, the running shoe manufacturer, finally decided to launch print campaign with the ideal in mind to connect to their primary target audience: runners. The big idea behind the beautifully photo-illustrated ads is to show the various motivations on what keeps runners running. On each of the ads in the set, the copy "My Running Partner" is plastered dead center for the most part with very distinct emphasis on the G and the P. Odd.

Unfortunately, I only found copies of the campaign in very small size so I had a difficult time reading the rest of the copy.

"My Running Partner had eight arms", is my weak sister and was also the first one I came across. Visually, it caught my glimpse, but then I felt the My Running blah blah to be pretty boring. In addition, the placement of the visuals is backwards (such as the runner running off the left side of the page, how the people in the row boat are not only tiny but not running, the finally how the product is also on the left side.) If the imagery and colors do enough on their own from some people, the heavily weighted left side may work.

Remaining ads target various levels of runners. "My Running Partner: Is My Evil Twin" is much better as far as positioning goes (especially on a top-page spread).

"My Running Partner: Makes Me Run With Two Plastic Bags", is very cute and so completely winning the hearts of dog lovers.

"My Running Partner I have never met," is an interesting concept as well. I suppose it is similar to saying you can find a mate if you drink this type of beer ad. I like it. It is most certainly a motivation for people to run, or get them to start running. It also ties in with getting in shape and getting laid aspect as well.

In a small article I come across in my inbox from Amy Corr, said the spankin' new tagline "Sound mind, sound body" was incorporated into the ads which stem from the meaning behind the ASICS acronym, anima sana in corpore sano. These ads are launching in the March issues of Runner's World, Men's Health, Shape, GQ, In Style and Real Simple, to name a few. VitroRobertson handled all aspects of the campaign. Great art direction; nice and clean.