ASICS Breaks New Ground with Find Adventure Launch from 180 Amsterdam

ASICS has made a dramatic impact into the urban running category this week with its new campaign Find Adventure. The launch was marked by The Big Chase, a first-of-its-kind event that brought urban running together with a full-scale immersive theatre experience – as captured in a short film that celebrates the unique activation.

The experiential event created by 180 Amsterdam saw over 60 influencers and journalists from across the globe gather in downtown L.A. for The Big Chase, an interactive running experience that put runners in the shoes of old-school Hollywood detectives with an L.A. Noir case to solve.

Using a customised communications and runner tracking system, precise mapping, routing and timing, the runners were choreographed across a 5k urban course and synchronised across multiple locations for theatrical interactions.

The teams of runners raced through the streets unravelling clues on a high-octane chase through downtown L.A. Pursuing the case through locations including the Roxie Theatre, Dutch Chocolate Shop and Bank Reserve Building while facing several characters straight out of a Hollywood film, the runners were immersed in the classic L.A. Noir scene.

The event and subsequent film release represents the start of the new ASICS Find Adventure campaign geared towards an urban, millennial audience. Along with the introduction of two new products – fuzeX RUSH and GEL-QUANTUM 360° KNIT – the event saw the debut of ASICS new fitness community Sound Body, Sound Mind and the #Run4Adventure social campaign.

The event was produced in partnership with HeLo, the L.A.-based production company behind the award winning Bud Light ‘Epic Night’. The resulting film will break across the UK, USA, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Holland, France Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and Mexico from 8 February – the first in a series of film executions based around ASICS engagement of this new active youth audience in 2017.

Al Moseley, President & CCO, 180 Amsterdam, commented: "We've helped ASICS win the hearts and minds of the serious runner. This was now about creating cultural impact with the social runner. We're thrilled at the result -  another great example of 180's relentless desire to try the bravest and boldest thing we can to get the world talking about our client's brands."

Lead creative on the project, Tony Bartolucci, Creative Director, 180 Amsterdam, added: “This was a unique experience not just for the runners but for us as well. Combining live theatre with sport with technology with digital outreach with influencer marketing was a production and creative challenge that required a lot of planning, a lot of teamwork and a lot of sleepless nights. It was truly creativity without frontiers.”