Reebook Launches "Live with Fire" Campaign

Last week, Reebok launched its new multichannel marketing initiate, called "Live with Fire." The fully-integrated campaign hinges on the idea that living an active lifestyle has benefits far broader than improving health; it can also inspire you to live with passion, intent and purpose in all elements of your life.

The hero spot, which launched February 15th on ESPN, highlights individuals who have made crucial lifestyle changes and inspired others to do the same. Its messaging invites all passionate athletes, regardless of their discipline, to unite behind the desire to transform their lives through fitness.

The spot features activities such as yoga, dancing, running, and walking and highlights and products such as Reebok's RealFlex, Zigtech, and Sublite Footwear. Reebok has also extended its support of the niche CrossFit community in the spring 2013 season, a continued effort from its 2012 "The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived" campaign.

"Live with Fire" is comprised of TV, print, digital, and OOH elements, as well as consumer events and activations. The campaign launch also includes a new Reebok Fitness app for Apple and Android, built to help users rejuvenate their workout routines and inspire creativity within various fitness activities. Reebok will also roll out a social-driven leg of the campaign via a partnership with online crowdsourcing community MOFILM. MOFILM has been tasked to identify talented, aspiring filmmakers and encourage them to create films that celebrate stories of people living every day with passion, intent, and purpose. Reebok will pull the films into an online social hub as a means to extend the #LivewithFire mantra.

             

Adidas Looks to Revolutionize Footwear Industry with Energy BOOST

Adidas announced this week that on February 27th, a new shoe will hit the market that "will do nothing less than revolutionize running footwear."

The athletic powerhouse's latest innovation is Energy BOOST, a proprietary technology that will provide the user with the highest energy return the running industry has ever seen, according to Adidas.

The idea behind the technology stems from a consumer insight revealing that what athletes really need during training and performance is more energy. "Often people only think about speed," says Head of Sport Performance Eric Liedtke in a recent press release, "but energy is the secret weapon that can set you apart from the competition. An added boost of energy is what allows you to push yourself ahead of everyone else to cross that finish line, especially in a sprint when every millisecond counts."

That needed bout of energy comes from the BOOST cushioning material within the shoe's midsole. BOOST is comprised of thousands of small energy capsules that store and release energy as the shoe moves. Its look and feel is quite similar to Styrofoam, but BOOST is also built to perform well in cold, hot, and wet conditions. Energy BOOST's upper is a highly durable, yet stretchy and breathable mesh material that provides optimal comfort and support to the entire foot while in motion.

Energy BOOST will retail at $150. The shoe will be available at launch only in black and white, an understatement compared to the bright neon colors that have recently become commonplace across running footwear. The global launch will not be supported heavily in marketing and not at all on TV. If initial consumer response is positive, Adidas will back BOOST with a substantial ad budget as the technology rolls out across its other footwear segments like basketball and streetwear.

Though it's unclear whether the shoes will truly reset the running industry, BOOST has proven good on its claims of improved energy return during short road tests. Bloggers and product testers who have gotten their hands on the shoe attest that BOOST does in fact live up to its hype.

     

Nike Launches Interactive Video

Nike launched an interactive video this week as an extension of its "Make it Count" campaign initiative. The video highlights athletic pursuits and fitness achievements of regular people across the globe along with those of athletes such as Serena Williams and Moh Farah. Viewers can engage with clickable "goals" that pop up throughout the spot and share their fitness resolutions on Facebook and Twitter.

The spot in its entirety is an athletic anthem, with no nod to a particular product or option to click through to Nike's online store. The sole goal of the video seems to be to inspire the audience to take on new fitness goals for 2013, such as "smashing a 5k," "conquering a marathon," and "dominating the 1-1."

The video, the product of a collaboration with taggable video company wireWAX, lives on Nike's Make it Count landing page, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. You can view the spot below.