ASICS really had no interest in being subtle back in the day.
Long before sneaker brands were fighting for our attention through collaborations, limited releases and celebrity endorsements, ASICS was taking a slightly different approach.
They were going straight for the competition.
“Serious Runners Don’t Put On Airs.”
“Just doing it doesn’t do it.”
“Why our thick gel is better than their thin air.”
Some pretty bold statements when you consider exactly who they were directed at.
Looking back through these old advertisements, I think what makes them so good is that ASICS wasn’t just trying to be funny. They were actually explaining why they believed their GEL technology was better, using product diagrams, research claims and some pretty clever copywriting along the way.
And the graphic design is just as good. Big serif headlines, detailed product photography and enough information to make you stop and read an advertisement rather than flick straight past it.
I wonder if we’d ever see two major sneaker brands go at each other this directly today.
Images via ASICS archival advertising.
