Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

if they use ProFits, which is the taping supporter brand, they can prevent injury and enjoy running. ProFits is the brand supports runners Closely. Under the brand message, we held an on-run marathon practice and a private marathon event with corona measures. While many marathon events in the world were canceled, we closely supported the challenges of the members until the end and had a wonderful brand experience.

Background

“Running,” the most familiar sport that people can start readily, has a problem that about 80 percent of the beginners experience injury or pain, resulting in many people giving up running. So, the Team Profits campaign to closely support runners let people know that if they use ProFits, which is the taping supporter brand, they can prevent injury and enjoy running with a sense of security and conveyed how wonderful it is to challenge in any situation.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

“EKIDEN,” which is Japan’s nationwide popular long-distance road relay that has an over 30 percent television viewership, is an event in which runners are accompanied and supported throughout the race by their coach riding on a car.Runners can challenge their limits and make it to the finish line if supported. Under the catch phrase, “Closely support runners,” ProFits’s taping supporter brand formed “Team Profits,” which is a marathon team with a goal of running a full marathon as a companion who closely supports runners, just like any EKIDEN coach. The team continued reporting about the process of challenging a full marathon on a real-time basis for six months.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Just like runners can challenge their limits with support from their EKIDEN coach, we have insight that【people can be stronger if supported】. Aiming to closely support everyone who takes on a challenge, ProFits, a supporter and taping brand, formed a citizens' marathon team “Team ProFits” with a goal of running a full marathon. We recruited ordinary people close to the audience rather than professional runners to implement a project that can draw strong empathy, such as child-rearing mothers with little experience in exercise, fathers who wanted to convey to their sons the importance of taking on challenges, and people who wanted to find a purpose in life outside of work. We distributed a documentary video to runners through social networking services to correct the stereotype that supporters and tapings are used only after injuries and promote the notion that these items are used for preventing injuries.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

TeamProFits was formed with SusumuHara, Japan's most famous long-distance track and field coach, and MarinaTakewaki, a renowned fitness YouTuber as ambassadors. Aiming to communicate the six-month process of taking on the challenge of running a full marathon in real-time, we recruited members of the public who are not professional runners but more like the audience who can draw strong empathy, such as child-rearing mothers with little experience in exercise and fathers who want to convey to their sons the importance of taking on challenges, and closely supported the members who experienced a setback or injury. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the project was on the verge of being disbanded and the marathon in which the team was scheduled to participate was canceled. Despite that, we closely supported the members' challenge until the very end by incorporating online marathon training sessions and holding a private marathon taking measures against the coronavirus.

List the results (30% of vote)

This project has raised the awareness that ProFits is an item to prevent injuries and a brand that supports both mind and body. As a result, the sales share has promoted from 4th place to 2nd place. Through Team ProFits, the atmosphere that makes people feel that it is ok to run or take on a challenge even in the stagnant mood amid the corona disaster has been fostered.