The ASICS Outrun the Sun documentary was advertiser-funded branded content. Each market, globally, has different rules regarding the editorial placement of advertiser funded content meaning we had to adhere to the different regulations in order to place the content editorially, whilst still remaining within each region’s broadcast guidelines.

The brief was to place the documentary editorially in ASICS’ key European markets: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Scandinavia, as well as securing coverage across other key strategic global markets including the US, South America, Japan and South Africa. A snapshot of the different markets and advertiser funded programming regulations are:

- UK – won’t allow funding sponsors/brand to take the TVC spots within the programme – therefore the deal agreed with the UK broadcasters ensured no inclusion of TVCs, but instead brand integrated title sequences and break bumpers

- Germany – allow all forms of branded content, however they do demand a buy-in commercial relationship

- France: Severe restrictions, including on title sponsorship and branded break bumpers

Despite the range of target markets broadcast regulations for advertiser funded programming, we were able to create one master programme that satisfied all regulatory bodies and broadcasters as well as ASICS.

ASICS understands runners and their motivations. To resonate with this audience, the documentary focused on the athlete’s raw human emotion of taking part in such as unique challenge.

The challenge was about ordinary people pushing themselves to extraordinary levels. The documentary captures intimate moments with the athletes as they prepare mentally and physically for the challenge as well as the challenge itself.

At one point athlete Iazaldir Feitoza breaks down in tears as he completes his section. The Brazilian is visibly emotional and praises the camaraderie and beauty of the challenge as “one of the best days of my life".

Outrun the Sun was a ground breaking piece of activity for ASICS – not only because it created an exciting owned event, but more specifically from the perspective of creating a piece of branded editorial content which was broadcast on TV channels globally.

The 47 minute documentary aired on 22 TV channels across 15 countries worldwide, including Channel 4 (UK), Sky Sports (UK), Eurosport UK, Eurosport Asia Pacific, Universal Sports (US), NBCSN (US), Gaora (Japan), Sport 1 (Germany), Fox Europe (Netherlands), Supersport (SA), GloboSat (Brazil), Setanta Ireland, TV2 (Norway), TV Catalunya (Spain)

Spreading mass awareness, the ASICS Outrun the Sun Documentary reached a global TV audience of over 100 million with an equivalent advertising value of over €6.5 million. Furthermore, media buzz generated over 250 items of editorial coverage across the world – 81% of which landed ASICS’ key messages - reaching more than 62 million people.

The ASICS branded documentary shone a light on the sport of trail running and the athletes involved - from being pushed to the limits of physical exhaustion, through to the euphoria of completing a world-first challenge – whilst highlighting the ASICS brand as the leader in performance trail running footwear and apparel.