Brief Explanation

We were briefed to recruit hardcore runners for one of the toughest races ever: The North Face 100 Ultra Marathon. The strategy was to make all other marathons look like a mere warm up in comparison.

The Brief

By targeting the finish line of a marathon, we were getting the attention of 100% runners, the exact target audience TNF was looking for. THE NORTH FACE’s brand DNA is about “Pushing Boundaries”, and this execution encapsulates this motto in an ironic, engaging way.

Results

Thousands of runners were exposed to our message at the end of the race, with thousands more watching the video of the events post-race. As a result, thousands signed up for the race, including the winners of the Wuxi Marathon.

How the final design was conceived

We hijacked the finish line of one of Asia’s biggest marathons: The Great Wuxi Marathon, where we congratulated runners that “Warm Up Is Over.” We gave out trophies – of a guy warming up. These “Warm Up Trophies” were awarded to finishers, and also the winners themselves, with an unnecessarily grandiose one going to the marathon champion.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Thousands of runners were exposed to our message at the end of the race, with thousands more watching the video of the events post-race. As a result, thousands signed up for the race, including the winners of the Wuxi Marathon.