Last time we covered Asics’ ‘Stop at Never’ campaign, Vitro was running tests on the brand’s latest shoes. An athlete played tennis suspended upside down from a crane (proving Asics are form fitting), while a different shoe withstood the pressure of an industrial jackhammer. In the latest ads from the campaign, Vitro’s veered slightly from their initial track.

Don’t get me wrong, Asics is still completing fun, gravity-defying challenges. In these recent videos, though, it’s not always clear what aspect of the shoe we’re supposed to appreciate. In one, athletes create sidewalk art by running in neon paint. Though the spot successfully emphasizes a neighborhood athlete feel, we’re left wondering what actually sets this shoe apart. Lighter and faster? Isn’t that the message of every running sneak? Another video compares a volleyball player to a grasshopper and a tiger. The animal-athlete thing feels familiar.

This series does best when it’s bizarre. A soccer player dribbles his way through a bespoke “urban treadmill” and a block-breaking martial arts master succumbs to a squeaky shoe. While they don’t always get it right, Asics’ latest tests show that if an athletic brand opts to detour from the typical run faster, harder, be a superhuman strategy, they’re better off highlighting the character-filled and unexpected.

Credits after the jump.

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We’ve seen Vitro try some nifty experiments to promote Asics before, but the MDC agency has stepped it up, so to speak, by testing the durability of its client’s various shoes in a project called “Stop at Never.”  The project essentially consists of 10 different videos that reside on the Stop at Never site (an interactive, visually appealing effort in its own right) and show how tough Asics sneakers can be. Who needs the same old shots of beautiful, athletic people running when you can instead watch a burly dude show you how much impact a shoe with gel cushioning can absorb via a jackhammer (above).

Or, how about highlighting how “midsole geometry” can improve agility with the help of 500 lbs. of water pressure (below)? Anyhow, rather that inundate you with every clip, just go to the site, scroll and see for yourself. Guess it’s time to trade in those busted Reeboks we’ve been kicking for who knows who long (ok, they’re actually Ponys but let’s keep that between us). Check out one more clip and credits after the jump.

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