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.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

From Vitro (the agency formerly known as SKINNY) comes the above TV spot launching the super-light ASICS GEL-Neo33.

As a runner, I can confirm that a move to lightweight shoes has a profound mental effect, similar to how drinking Gatorade can make you think that you’re somehow better at basketball. When your knees and shins hold up, you tend to push yourself past where you would go with heavier shoes, despite experiencing a similar level of fatigue.

Clearly, the joggers in this spot feel the same way, running deep into the late hours of night with their glowing balloons trailing behind them. After constructing a floating tribute to their lighter-than-air idol, the runners rock out to some soaring indie music. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with positioning yourself as the athletic footwear provider to the fashionably fit, is there? See more from the campaign here and view credits after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The folks behind MDC shop Vitro swear to us that no CGI was involved in the making of this clip for Asics, which was inspired by the brand’s lightweight GEL-Blur 33. Instead, the agency solicited the input of a real-life rocket scientist and used 3,000 ping pong balls, two industrial air compressors, 24 air valves, and nearly 800 separate guide lines to create a 72 square-foot shoe that hovers two feet above the ground.

Like a Mr. Wizard episode gone mad, the centerpiece of Vitro’s new Asics campaign is a welcome change from the wet, “shedding” approach the agency has opted for in recent spots for the shoe brand. Credits after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.