“No matter how good a runner you are, you will always be better with a team.” With training in isolation now a memory rather than an imperative, and the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, about to begin, Swiss sportswear brand, On, is celebrating the transformative power of team spirit – even for athletes who compete as individuals.
The campaign is led by a 90 second film by Levity Creative and AKKURAT Studios, that captures the journey of mutual trust between eleven elite track runners and members of professional running club, On Athletics Club (OAC), ahead of its solo races at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
The film, Run For Each Other, is an original docu-style behind-the-scenes story written by Los Angeles creative director, Oliver DeVitre, and directed by Mischa Meyer, a German director also based in LA. The campaign is made by On in collaboration with Levity Creative, and Berlin production company AKKURAT Studios.
While there are very many branded sporting docos out there, this one has a fascinating creative edge. It was shot with a series of different, classic cameras on 35MM using Kodak 5219 film to give it a vintage and grainy look. It shows the gritty determination, formidable team spirit and shared values held by the group of track runners.
“We wanted the film’s texture to echo the human spirit of a team that competes in the world of performance sports. Running in a team gives our young athletes a competitive edge that can’t be matched with artificial means, just like the analog quality of film sets us apart from the sheer technical perfection of other polished works out there,” explained Oliver DeVitre, creative director of Levity Creative.
By using multiple film formats versus shooting on digital or using VFX, we wanted to convey the emotional bond between the young OAC athletes and capture the humanity in their approach to performance running. Because On is as much about technology in running shoes as it is about the human spirit of those who run.”
Run For Each Other was filmed on and off the track across the US, to present the idea that “no matter how good of a runner you are, you will always be better with a team”, an ongoing mantra held high by On Athletics Club that has led to widespread international success across the group’s many track disciplines.
“Run For Each Other is about the true power and spirit of ‘Team’ and how teamwork is the embodiment of success,” stated Feliciano Robayna, executive producer and head of sports marketing at On. “Our OAC athletes are on a journey to the World Championships, and know they are better together, having learned that group camaraderie is a key ingredient towards fulfilling optimum performance under pressure. Each athlete knows their fellow team members have their back, not only during competition, but off the track during training as well as in their personal life. This is the true essence of how teamwork drives ultimate success – which is one of the core philosophies of our brand.”
Credits
Client: On
Executive Producer & Head of Global Sports Marketing: Feliciano Robayna
Producer & Global Sports Marketing Activation Specialist: Gessica Giullini
Director: Mischa Meyer
Production Company: AKKURAT Studios, HPLA
Executive Producers: Rocco Kopecny & Ryan Hahn
Producer: Abi Perl
Agency: Levity Creative
Executive Producer & Creative Director: Colin Leary
Creative Director: Oliver DeVitre
DOP: Maz Makhani
Stills Photographer: Jason Houston
Editing: Cabin Edit
Editor: Mischa Meyer
Music: RWDY Music
Composers: Matthias Biermann & Sebastian Pille
