Distinctly different / Asics has carved out a space in the sportswear category that directly links back to its name: an acronym for the Latin phrase ‘anima sana in corpore sano’ (healthy mind, healthy body). Through campaigns like this (and previous work such as Mind Games, Dramatic Transformation and Training AI), Asics has consistently challenged societal pressures around body image, health and fitness, establishing a distinctive positioning in the crowded sportswear category. Lots of brands have explored mental resilience in the context of sports and fitness, but Asics takes a gentler, less performance-based approach to movement. As well as helping the brand stand out from the crowd, this strategy democratises fitness (quashing ‘gymtimidation’ fears) and frames the brand as one for everyone, no matter your fitness level.
While the iron is hot / This is a timely campaign that positions Asics’ long-running, positive platform around movement and mental health as an antidote to a toxic news cycle. Over the past two years, weight loss has trended both on social media and on mainstream news, thanks to the popularisation of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy and the supposed return of the ‘heroin chic’ look. The Ozempic hashtag on TikTok has reportedly surpassed 1 billion views, with the app announcing in May that it would be cracking down on Ozempic and weight-loss-based content. ‘We want TikTok to be a place that encourages self-esteem and does not promote negative social comparisons,’ reads the company website. Asics’ campaign intercepts the weightloss buzz without comment or criticism – it’s an additive idea that inserts the brand into a cultural conversation in a positive way. With TikTok increasingly used as a search engine and people at risk of mis- and disinformation online, Asics’ research-backed, unsensationalised content about the mental benefits of moderate exercise is much needed.
