Support Your Marathoner
Most Innovative Communication Strategy
Agency: VITRO
Campaign: Support Your Marathoner
Client: ASICS America Corp.
Running shoe maker ASICS is a long-time sponsor of the New York City Marathon. As a critical part of the company’s yearly marketing plan, they wanted to make the most of it. In 2010, ASICS’ goal was to move past awareness tactics and demonstrate that it understands and motivates runners.
While many elite runners have a support system to aid them along the way, for most runners, a marathon can be a lonely experience. So ASICS created “Support your Marathoner” to provide the encouragement and motivation that only friends and family can supply, even if they’re not physically there.
ASICS advertised in an online newsletter published by the New York Road Runners, the club that stages the marathon. Social media and a dedicated web page were also used to spread the word. Two months prior to the race, registered runners were asked to log into supportyourmarathoner.com with their bib number and identify the loved ones they would like to participate in the program.
Each person was then sent a link to a portal where they could record and upload an eight-second video message or still photos and words of encouragement. A second opportunity was provided to record messages on-site at the Marathon Expo where runners pick up their bibs and numbers.
During the marathon, as runners passed over special sensor mats, an RFID chip attached to their shoe identified them, located their messages of support and broadcast these messages on giant course-side LED screens, as they ran past. There was no such technology available to purchase so ASICS had it built.
In the middle of an exhausting race, a spouse, child, parent or good friend popped up on a 20-foot LED board for some real-time encouragement, with audio. Some runners stopped and stared at their videos. Others asked people to take their pictures. One woman burst into tears. Runners who didn’t get to see their video message the first time got bumped to the front of the queue for the next LED board.
Support Your Marathoner collected more than 7,000 messages of support from 17 countries, including more than 300 videos and almost 2,000 photos, and was featured on at least 15 marketing and advertising websites from as far away as Spain and Sweden. Afterward, marathons from Paris to Phoenix called asking if they could use the technology.
