Asics’ New Campaign Centers Around Mental Wellness
Running has found a lot of new fans during the pandemic, but Asics’ has yet to reap the full benefits of the boom. In preliminary results released on Nov. 6, the Japanese activewear brand said it is expecting to report an operating loss of $58.4 million on net sales of $3.1 billion for the fiscal year.Nevertheless, its new president of North America has high hopes for the brand’s rebound as it releases today a marketing campaign tied to its running roots.
Nevertheless, its new president of North America has high hopes for the brand’s rebound as it releases today a marketing campaign tied to its running roots. The brand was founded in 1949 and its name means a “Sound Mind in a Sound Body” in Latin.In one of his first interviews, Richard Sullivan, who took over the post of president and chief operating officer of Asics’ North America in October, believes that the company’s renewed focus on the running specialty space, along with continued improvement in its digital efforts, will position the brand for growth.In the past two years Asics has been focusing on running. Before that, the brand had been attempting to lure the sneakerheads and streetwear crowd with partnerships such as that with DJ/record producer and fashion designer Steve Aoki. But that strategy was shifted in early 2019 as the brand marked its 70th year in business.Sullivan said, “Consistency is good in this case. We’re not changing our focus or strategy.”He said that despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic, Asics North America has seen its third quarter of double-digit sales increases online. Its stores, however, have not fared as well. In fact, the company said last week that it has shuttered its New York City flagship on Fifth Avenue, three years after it opened.
To further connect with its consumers, Asics’ today is launching a study that will use biometric technology to research the impact of sports on mental health. Overseen by Dr. Brendon Stubbs, an exercise and mental health researcher at King’s College London, the study measured a series of brain pathways known to influence the emotional and cognitive elements of mental well-being. It found that after a short amount of physical activity, everyday athletes experienced an emotional uplift, including up to a 29 percent improvement in their ability to cope with stress and up to an 18 percent increase in their relaxation levels. They also reported a significant drop in negative emotions such as frustration and were up to 28 percent less prone to making rash decisions and react negatively to challenges or disruption. In addition, the participants experienced a 26 percent increase in brain processing speed, up to a 21 percent improvement in memory and as much as a 58 percent reduction in their levels of cognitive stress, or anxiety, forgetfulness and disorganization.Interestingly, the uplifts in emotion and cognition were actually greater among everyday athletes than elites, the study found.As the study rolls out, Asics hopes to use the findings to “develop future innovations that unlock the mental benefits of sport and exercise for athletes of all levels,” the company said.“Sound Mind in a Sound Body is not a tagline for us,” Sullivan said. “It’s literally our name. And we haven’t really spoken about it to our consumers and customers, but with all the challenges the world is going through, it couldn’t be more relevant.”
To kick off the campaign, started on January 13th its elite athletes including Hall, Deena Kastor and Taliyah Brooks will issue an open invitation to people to start moving at sunrise by running, walking or taking part in any sport or activity. They’re encouraging followers to upload selfies to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and to tag Asics’ or #SoundMindSoundBody.“It is impossible to overstate just how significant the impact sport and exercise have on our mind,” said Stubbs. “It’s absolutely vital that people regularly move their body to experience those all-important cognitive and emotional benefits for themselves. Never has there been a more important time to become active and experience the mental health benefits sport and movement bring.”“We know the COVID-19 pandemic has put even more pressure on the wellbeing of millions of people,” said Yasuhito Hirota, president and chief operating officer of Asics’. “We also know and believe that sport and movement can lift spirits and help people feel better. For us, 2021 is about unlocking the unique power of sport to uplift our minds. That starts with encouraging people everywhere to move with us at sunrise and will continue throughout the year as we demonstrate our commitments to our founding philosophy of a sound mind, sound body.”
Photos:Courtesy of Asics’ Instagram
By Kristen Glover
Social Media:kris_fashionista