ASICS
Nature Bathing
Collection
The Pitch
ASICS needed to launch a hybrid footwear collection designed for a "door-to-trail" experience. Past campaigns often relied on a jarring visual disconnect that showed runners teleporting from urban streets straight into extreme mountain environments. To fix this, I pitched a grounded, cinematic concept inspired by the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. Leadership originally leaned toward shooting in safe Tokyo streetscapes and manicured city parks. I guided them toward a more authentic approach by taking the production to the unpaved foothills of Mount Fuji to capture the true mixed-terrain transition from pavement to trail.
Role:
Art Direction, Graphic Design
Copywriter:
Roby Mayhew
Photographer:
Peter Hochhauser
Director:
Christoph Tilley
Location:
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
The Hustle
On location, I directed an Austrian production crew and a multinational cast through unpredictable spring weather. The shoes were slated for a fall release, which meant I had to frame every shot carefully on the fly to hide the blooming cherry blossoms. Beyond solving environmental challenges, I reverse-engineered the entire physical shoot to feed our digital pipeline. Knowing exactly what the final toolkits needed, I pushed the crew past standard close-ups, mandating specific vertical and horizontal framing with built-in negative space so every hero asset was instantly ready for global e-commerce and social text integration.
The Result
The final toolkit rolled out globally and delivered hundreds of static and video assets localized into over 15 languages shared across regional retail locations, websites, emails, and social channels. Regional marketing partners praised the authentic emotion we captured by casting real runner-athletes instead of models. Because I designed the assets with long-term utility in mind, the photography had an extended shelf life. The imagery was ultimately repurposed for secondary multi-channel campaigns like global sustainability initiatives and Earth Day activations.
Social Videos
Storytelling Video
Athlete Spotlight: Hideki
Athlete Spotlight: Alex
TikTok Videos
Videos were made specifically for TikTok featuring trends such as the use of a 360° camera and ASMR.
@asics Happy places. Happy faces. Find yours in the new NATURE BATHING™ Collection. #naturebathing #asicsrunning ♬ original sound - ASICS
@asics The sounds of nature and your own footsteps. That’s #ASICSNATUREBATHING. #asmr #trailrunning #runningasmr #asmrrunning ♬ original sound - ASICS
©2025 Colin Rand