I was going to send this Friday but with so many people in LA for the marathon and Las Palmas for Transgrancanaria I decided to wait. I hope the event and travel hangover isn’t hitting you all too hard.
If you’re into conceptual ideas, feelings and vibes then you’re going to love KAIRONIC Issue 002 from Auteur Sportif. It just started shipping this week.
KAIRONIC is a twelve-page, tabloid-style newsprint publication with ideas, objects, art, inspiration and cultural commentary on the world around us through the lens of a runner. Issue 002 is an immersive interplay between text and images to convey ideas. Each page expresses a different feeling, thought or idea. It’s similar to a mood board but a mood alone doesn’t go far enough. It’s meant to evoke emotion or feeling without a typical rational structure or narrative coherence. It’s aesthetic without logic.
Incase you’ve been living under a rock, Harry Styles was the subject of the latest cover article for Runners World. It was really well done and thus deserving of earned media cred like this. I suspect Harry himself had a lot of influence over how it was done. Tom Garland, founder of editions+partners and former Highsnobiety, summed it up really well on LinkedIn. Click the image below for the great convo in the comments.
“Weak on depth and interpretation” - bingo! Speaking of Tom Garland, he had a really great podcast episode on Inspiring Futures. I love the way Tom thinks, highly recommend this episode.
You heard it here first but I think the UTMB “ambush” crackdown is coming much harder this year. Keep this in mind as your brand is deciding how to activate - I know you’re working on it right now! If Fabrice’s Perrin’s recent LinkedIn post is any indication of the conversations being had in Chamonix, please plan accordingly. There’s a great discussion in the comments of this post as well. For example they discuss distinctions between adjacent vs ambush marketing that reveal how ambush marketing is perceived by UTMB. The organization seems to feel that any brand activating around the event is trying to deceive people into thinking they are official sponsors (not true) and that the ambush brands aren’t “giving anything back” (also not true). I see this situation from a consumer/attendee POV and the atmosphere it creates makes me want to attend and bring my money to the Cham valley. Maybe adding some parameters would be a more measured approach? I am not calling the shots in Chamonix though so proceed appropriately. Also, there’s that word again - “parasitic”. It’s been used too often in running lately and it’s not a good look for us.
We’ve seen some amazing video work around launches lately. The needle is definitely moving in the right direction. Here are a several examples I’ve come across - mostly for the better but also with some room for improvement.
The quotes below are from PR launch emails I have received. Two of the quotes are from Nike and one is from Arc’teryx. Can you tell which is which?
“built for peak responsive cushioning performance that allows runners to push their limits stride after stride”
“trail-specific innovations, including improved traction and a breathable, quick-draining upper”
“a lighter, more responsive, and more stable ride for fast efforts on technical terrain”
So. Much. Jargon.
In general, the less memorable launches provide plenty of buzzwords and stats with little meaning or story. “15% more responsive!” - neat. If your launch is filled with academic info and predictable b-roll then keep your expectations in check. The launches that stand out use the various pieces below to tell a story, connect the product to real life and reinforce a distinct brand POV. Some give us a specific memorable moment we can attach to the launch - it’s the context our human brains need to retain information.
Here are some examples of recent launch videos that gave me that context.
Three short films dropped recently from Bandit, Merrell and Arc’teryx and all 3 focus on escaping to the outdoors. Similar messages told through different lenses.
I touched on Bandit last week but they gave us a palpable feeling to associate with the brand and the SS26 launch. It felt more humble, more grateful, more cognizant of a larger cultural temperature where we can’t take anything for granted. It provided an environment that gives the SS26 collection a space in our minds.
Merrell also took a poetic route and hit the benefits of escaping outside more generally than just running. Their piece also spoke to the larger cultural yearning to disconnect, slow down and feel something. Then it offered us a short answer and stopped there. The slow motion focus is on the critical act of just walking out the door - a more accessible win for everyone that beckons to a broader audience. It established a POV for Merrell to build on going forward - get out the door. Visually it’s very produced, exaggerated and conceptual - a visual language/style that Merrell typically associates with their brand.
Arc’teryx touches on the same cultural mood as well - our desire to tune out. Like Merrell they offer the outdoors as a solution but do it through a very Arc lens. While the core message and slow motion clips are similar to Merrell, Arc’teryx skipped past the accessible door scene that Merrell emphasized and focused on the top-of-mountain moments that relate to Arc’s pinnacle audience.
While the message in these three are very similar, they each convey it in a unique way. In an ideal world they would hit at a more unique message in the first place (see also Brooks’ “Let’s Run There” and Altra’s “Stay Out There”) but the important part is that these are connected to the larger societal temperature and they’re told through a unique brand lens.
These attach the product to real moments or specific examples, not theoretical ones like we might see in brand stories above. If you’re Merrell and the brand story above was around getting out the door, show us a real-world story about how doing that changed someone’s life. Maybe that led to running the LA Marathon or maybe it led to a running adventure in Madagascar.
Keen, a new entrant to trail running, recently dropped a film around the launch of their Seek and Roam trail shoes. The film depicts two runners exploring the mountains of Montenegro. It is beautifully shot, but, I found myself asking why we are running there in the first place? Does our narrator have a connection there? I would have really loved to “feel” Montenegro culture a bit more in this. The best parts of running in new places are exploring both the landscape and the culture while feeling out of your comfort zone in multiple ways. Several overt product shots also do a great job of reminding me that I’m watching an ad. I’d save those for associated performance ads that follow this up.
Bandit drop a ton of well produced content for such a small team. For the LA Marathon moment they launched a small collection with a nod to LA production culture. A “oner” is a scene that is captured in a single uncut clip. This whole piece is a “oner” in itself. Their LA Marathon product is seen on everyone throughout the scene but isn’t shone so overtly (love that). Of course they tied in their IRL activities in LA by using this exact set as the activation space.
New Balance recently launched the Ellipse with Action Bronson. They took the boring jargon and specs I mentioned earlier and delivered them with SO MUCH personality. The Ellipse brings modern tech with throwback styling, thus the entire piece is styled as a 90s breaking news story. Our news anchor, Action Bronson, brings his personality to the party and suddenly you find yourself listening to those specs and talking points while actually feeling entertained. Simply change the voice from the product designer to fucking Action Bronson and the whole things sings. “It’s a fucking vibe”.
Bandit. Again. They’ve taken the standard “Behind the Design” vid and put just enough Bandit twist on it to make it interesting. The SS26 BTD vid starts NOT with specs but with an art lesson. The Tame Impala track is another hook. Then we are hit with the technical highlights AND the interesting anecdotes behind them. I love the nod to the CU study on cooling. It makes me want all of this, especially that brilliant hat with slots for sunglass arms.
I contrast that Bandit BTD story with the Sylan 2 BTD vid from Arc that is way too safe for me. The designer gives us the technical details while b-roll shows us the intended use. It’s clean, minimal and true to Arc’teryx design ethos but after watching it I felt nothing. It’s missing that one extra surprise or creative element - that Tame track, that art lesson, that Action Bronson color or that one liner about a “oner not a runner”. How can Arc’teryx better connect this piece to our lives and trail culture in their unique way?
My friends at Hermanos Kuomori in CDMX also got in on the “BTD” action by describing their Spring collection. I love listening to it in Spanish and am so glad they kept true to CDMX by going that route. It’s pretty straightforward though and I would have loved to see them have more fun with it.
I really miss the conceptual and cinematic launch films from Hermanos Kuomori like this one from 2023 to launch their collab with New Era.
To wrap up, I have several takeaways. Successful brands launch with multiple video assets to give us context to remember the product. These are critical to help it connect not just logically but emotionally. The video formats in this article are effective but don't limit yourself, be creative.
Brand Story - Give us a situation that exemplifies your message. Do it through your brand lens/style. Incorporate a relevant cultural mood or idea. Show us the environment this product is being dropped into.
Product Moment - Leverage a situation/race/run/trip/moment to provide real world context for the placement of this product in our minds. Don’t throw the product in our face, we get it. Give us an example of the brand story.
Product Video - Give us the specs but add your personality and make it fun/interesting. Leverage different voices like athletes and other brand partners for even more context. Make us want to watch or share it.
Behind the Design - Show us the amazing product work you’ve put in but add those easter eggs, that personality and that POV that only you can provide. Make it fun to learn even more details.
Across the board there has been a lot of great launch content lately and I’ve loved watching the rising tide.
Do you have your own take on these? Any films, images or launches that I didn’t include here that make for good examples? Hit me back with a reply or jump in the comments.
Thank you all for reading ✌️
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