ASICS IS MOVING THE WORLD - LAUNCHING THE BRAND’S MOST SIGNIFICANT MARKETING INITIATIVE IN 25 YEARS

ASICS IS MOVING THE WORLD - LAUNCHING THE BRAND’S MOST SIGNIFICANT MARKETING　INITIATIVE IN 25 YEARS

Brand refresh highlights ASICS’ move towards dialing up the brand’s relevance to 

a broader audience

Kobe, July 31st, 2017 – Today, true sport performance brand ASICS unveils a new global brand message, identity, retail concept and powerful integrated brand activation – the brand’s most significant marketing initiative in over 25 years. The refresh kicks off in London with the aim of getting the world moving, one city at a time. This marks an important milestone for ASICS as the brand sets out to communicate a contemporary expression of its founding vision and philosophy to a new generation of consumer; to bring people together and inspire them to be healthy, happy and energised through sport.

The new brand identity, developed in conjunction with Bruce Mau Design, is the most significant brand refresh ASICS has undertaken since the introduction of the ASICS Spiral logo in 1992. The hero brand message, I MOVE ME, taps into ASICS 70-year philosophy of the correlation between a sound mind and a sound body, and has been designed to inspire people of all ages and abilities to move more to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of exercise.

The I MOVE ME creative, developed by Saatchi & Saatchi L.A., is being unveiled across London, UK, from July 31st across OOH and in stadium signage coinciding with the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships, of which ASICS an official partner. The creative will then be rolled out internationally. The impactful key visuals and social content champion real people who demonstrate the positive impact movement has on their lives.

The roll out coincides with the opening of ASICS’ largest flagship store worldwide on Regent Street, London, on August 2nd. The new store will enable consumers to experience all four of the ASICS brands under one roof for the very first time.

“Over the past 70 years, we have built a powerful brand on a purpose that is literally engrained in our name; Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, a sound mind in a sound body. Now we are proud to be able to bring that purpose to life in a marketing refresh,” explains Paul Miles, Senior General Manager, Global Marketing Division, ASICS Corporation. “This is one of the most integral brand exercises we have ever executed with an inclusive creative concept that brings the brand and our consumers together unlike we’ve ever done before. It’s an approach with a purpose that we truly believe in, its more than just a brand campaign, it’s a mission to get people moving.”

The refresh is further brought to life in ASICS first ever fully integrated consumer communications campaign that brings the brand vision closer to consumers. #IMoveLondon is the first of many local manifestations of the I MOVE ME initiative. The campaign taps into local research analysing the positive impact movement can have overcoming the stresses of an urban lifestyle.

Seb Coe, IAAF President says, "With the IAAF World Championships coming to London from 4th to 13th August, it’s more important than ever to get the host city moving more. We’re extremely excited to work with ASICS on a campaign that will encourage Londoners to positively disrupt their everyday with exercise – even long after the Championships have finished.”

The #IMoveLondon campaign was designed to help inspire Londoners to trade the misery of the daily commute for the benefits of getting outside and moving more. #IMoveLondon will run at the same time as the city hosts the IAAF World Championships and is encouraging commuters to switch their train tickets for trainers.

The campaign, developed by Edelman, incorporates research, consumer communications, event and athlete sponsorships, media partnerships, influencer engagement, social media, digital content, paid media, CRM, campaign website and experiential activations. The London based programme and experiences run from July 19th to August 13th and are the beginning of a series of local initiatives that will be rolled out across cities around the world in the future – further details to be announced soon.

To find out more about I MOVE ME, visit ASICS at asics.com/imovelondon and asics.com/imoveme or follow #IMoveMe and #IMoveLondon on our social channels. You can also join the movement in London, UK, at the following locations:

• Leake Street, London, UK: 3 August

• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, UK: 5 – 6 August

• Clapham Common, London, UK: 8 – 10 August

I MOVE ME Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLH3aKcIM-wMCeGVcYJ3ginJb6yX9951

I Move London Videos:

Hero >> https://youtu.be/s_GHOedHGzM

Calisthenics >> https://youtu.be/u8R9PZ8fdQM

Urban Athletics >> https://youtu.be/9qleqFfhC4g

Run >> https://youtu.be/tNZygSSyqp0

Yoga >> https://youtu.be/sR5qQI56AYU

About Bruce Mau Design

BMD (Bruce Mau Design) brands the mission of organizations shaping the future of their respective industries worldwide. Its clients and collaborators include the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sonos, GE, Unilever, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Hollwich Kushner Architects, and dozens of others. The firm’s awards include a Cannes Lion, a D&AD Pencil, two Fast Company “Best Branding” awards, and three Core77 Design Awards. BMD's thought leadership has been showcased at SXSW, the World Knowledge Forum, and at conferences and universities worldwide.

About Saatchi & Saatchi L.A.

Saatchi LA is known for creating compelling ideas, grounded in product truths and customer insights, honed by experience and brought to life by one of the most creative teams in the industry. The Saatchi LA office is the third largest in the global network of ideas company Saatchi & Saatchi, part of Publicis Groupe. For more information, visit www.saatchila.com.

About Edelman

Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm, with more than 5,500 employees in 65 cities worldwide. Edelman partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. As the number one agency in the UK, a team of more than 550 brand, reputation and digital strategists drive award winning creative communication programmes. We have deep expertise in consumer trends, research, analytics and insights, corporate reputation, health, technology, crisis, energy, and government affairs.

Edelman has been awarded seven Cannes Lions including the Grand Prix for PR in 2014. Edelman has been voted Global Agency of the Year and Best Agency to work for 2013 by the Holmes Report and International Agency of the Year 2013 by the PRCA and is a 2015 Sunday Times Best Company to Work For. www.edelman.co.uk

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