Onitsuka Tiger taps into modern Japan for campaign

Sports lifestyles brand Onitsuka Tiger is switching its marketing focus away from associations with ancient Japanese crafts to tap into the modern spirit of Japanese design.

asics
Onitsuka Tiger is looking to leverage the excitement and style of modern Japan.

The brand’s latest activity is underpinned by line “Craft of Movement” and takes in print ads, a film, social media and in-store experiences.

The campaign has been created by Blast Radius Amsterdam and Tokyo’s NAM design collective.

The film leads the viewer through three “hyper-real” environments, soundtracked by a bespoke electro-pop soundtrack from Star Athlete, where everyday objects are caught in the moment of explosion.

The three print executions promote three new Tiger designs  and display features of modern Japanese life, from Bento boxes to a Tokyo bicycle.
Previous campaigns have showcased classic Japanese crafts, such as the furniture making art of Tansu.

Lisa Hogg, head of brand management at Onitsuka Tiger, says, “Onitsuka Tiger has always produced thoughtful, detailed and memorable campaigns to support its collections. Craft of Movement marries the brand’s heritage with modern Japanese lifestyle.  It’s about understatement, workmanship and beauty – not speed, sweat and winning.  We capture every detail – nothing is blurred.”

Parent company Asics is about to launch its first global e-commerce platform. Asics’ push looks to build on the brand’s sales, which have been rising over the last 12 months. It reported sales of 128bn yen (973.7m) for the year to September 30, a 2.2 per cent increase on the previous year. The company said the growth was driven by sales outside its home market of Japan, which increased 3.1 per cent during the same period to 86bn yen (£654.8m).

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