The new campaign by Swiss sports brands, On, is a tribute to the unique drive of mother-of-three Nicola Spirig as she smashes the 8-hour barrier for women’s long-distance triathlon on June 5 – at 40 years old, three months after a serious bike accident. She became one of the two first women in history to complete a full-distance triathlon in under 8 hours on that day.
The campaign is led by a film, called Nicola’s Spirit which captures the lead-up to what may be Spirig’s last ever race, and her extraordinary philosophy and strength of mind – leaving an inspiring legacy for future athletes everywhere. It was created by director, Simon Brotherson, and director-writer, Andrew Telling, with epic aerial photography and profound interviews.
At the Dekra Lausitzring racetrack in Germany, not only did Nicola Spirig smash her personal record of 9:14:07, the seven-time European Champion also made the impossible possible, by becoming one of only two women in history to break the 8-hour barrier in a long-distance triathlon. She crossed the line in an epic 7:34:19 – only three minutes behind Ironman champion, Katrina Matthews.
The race, the Pho3nix Sub8 Project, was organised by The Pho3nix Foundation, a non-profit promoting sport and wellbeing for disadvantaged children. It set out to make history – overcoming physical and mental barriers never before breached. Both athletes finished significantly under the previous world record for women of 8:18:13, set by Chrissie Wellington of Great Britain in 2011.
“Nicola has defied the impossible and is the perfect embodiment of how the power of determination can overcome every obstacle towards fulfilling your dreams and ultimate ambition. Realising your career-long dream as a 40-year-old mother of three shows there is no barrier that cannot be broken. Nicola’s spirit is truly emblematic of On’s core values,” stated Feliciano Robayna, executive producer and head of sports marketing at On.
“We believe in authentic storytelling rather than slick and highly scripted marketing – what resonates most is when we stay true to our athletes’ own unique and real experiences. We believe that longer form content – which our brand is becoming known for – is the purest way to capture the spirit of sport in its truest form.”
The five-minute film captures Spirig training against the backdrop of the mountains of Gran Canaria, and Sprig’s on recounting of what ‘spirit’ means to her as an athlete. She reveals her own mindset during race day and her lifelong ambition to be better than the rest. The film also shows her treatment after a serious bike accident just three months before the race. She broke three ribs, fractured her collarbone and punctured a lung, but soon afterwards chose to “train through the pain” rather than give up.
Credits:
Client: On
Executive Producer: Feliciano Robayna
Producer: Gessica Giulini
Creative Director & Writer: Simon Brotherson
Director: Andrew Telling
Producer: Olivia Hirschberg
Director of Photography: Lee Thomas
