ASICS delivers experiences that get both mind and body moving. We went behind the scenes at two hands-on events held in conjunction with the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships! | We went

The Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, held in Tokyo for the first time in 34 years, generated tremendous excitement. In addition to the strong performances by Japanese athletes, many may also remember the buzz around athletes striking poses of Japanese anime and manga characters during pre-race introductions.

ASICS is the company behind the official apparel for Japan’s national team at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships. To help more people feel, “I want to get moving too!” and “Sport is great!”, ASICS hosted two hands-on events inspired by the Championships.

SUNNY SIDE UP’s media approach, spotlighting ASICS’s vision

SUNNY SIDE UP supported everything from planning and execution of the PR plan to media outreach and influencer initiatives for this event.

The aim of this initiative was not merely to introduce the events, but to clearly communicate to the media what ASICS stands for, how it engages with the World Athletics Championships, and why it is rolling out these events during this period.

Accordingly, KPIs were set not only for the number of placements, but also for the “quality of exposure,” such as whether the brand message was reflected within the coverage. In addition, by proactively incorporating interviews, we thoroughly pursued a quality-first approach to ensure ASICS’s vision would be conveyed in concrete, publishable form.

Even with limited media coverage capacity due to the three-day holiday weekend, we successfully attracted coverage from a total of more than 20 outlets and over 40 reporters and writers across the two-day event. Furthermore, despite the constraint of the World Athletics Championships being broadcast exclusively by a specific network, we were able to secure coverage on other networks’ news programs and implement initiatives such as having newscasters wear the uniforms, enabling us to expand event communications in a more multifaceted way.

For the influencer initiative, we engaged not only influencers well-versed in track and field and running, but also KOLs* with followers among audiences less familiar with sports. This enabled outreach to a broad range of people and achieved reach to a total follower base of approximately 1.27 million or more.

In this way, we successfully communicated the brand’s vision and the value of the events as one, delivering ASICS’s brand message to many people.

In this article, we report on two hands-on events that generated excitement behind the scenes of the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, which swept Japan with enthusiasm!

*KOL: An abbreviation for “Key Opinion Leader.” A person with specialized knowledge and experience in a particular field who has strong influence.

1. An athletics track appears in Marunouchi! A hands-on event, “ASICS MOVE STREET,” where you can feel the appeal of athletes and the joy of moving your body

The first event was “ASICS MOVE STREET,” a hands-on event held on Marunouchi Naka-dori, built around the concept “Feel like an Athlete.” We experienced three areas—“Stillness,” “Motion,” and “Release”—that express the mindset of athletes competing on the world stage!

First was the “Stillness” area, where you learn about the athlete’s world. Through experiences you normally cannot feel—such as emotions before taking on a competition and the sounds that reach you on a big stage—you are left with a curious sensation. In addition to displays of the official apparel for Japan’s national track and field team, you could also use mirrors to experience an athlete’s starting motion.

When we picked up the running shoes “METASPEED SKY TOKYO,” which are also worn by Japan’s national track and field athletes, we were surprised by how light they were—almost like holding Styrofoam. It was a firsthand experience of ASICS’s advanced technology.

Next was the “Motion” area, where you experience an athlete’s movement. You could actually run an approximately 10 m course built to track specifications, and receive photos and an animated video of your run. The author also took on the “10 m run”! Despite struggling with the unfamiliar starting blocks, we were able to experience an athlete’s mindset, even if only for a moment, and get a simulated taste of what it feels like.

Finally came the “Release” area, where you output your athlete experience. You could freely write on a board about what you felt in the athlete’s world and how you felt when moving your body. It was a booth designed not only to help you enjoy the World Athletics Championships more deeply, but also to support creating a trigger for ongoing exercise.

2. “ASICS METASPEED EXPERIENCE,” where you can experience the latest technology

The second event was “ASICS METASPEED EXPERIENCE,” held in the outer grounds of the National Stadium, the competition venue for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships. We experienced the latest technology from ASICS’s acclaimed “METASPEED” series firsthand!

The “METASPEED” series adopts a design philosophy that focuses on differences in running styles—stride type and pitch type—so that top athletes can maximize their performance.

At this event, the newly added “METASPEED RAY” was on display—a latest model weighing only about 129 g per shoe and the lightest ever among the company’s thick-soled running shoes.

When we actually held it, we were surprised by its lightness—it hardly felt like a shoe. There was also a booth where you could film your reaction, along with a service that let you receive a digital photo on the spot.

In addition to introductions to past models, there were also displays of “METASPEED SKY TOKYO” and “METASPEED EDGE TOKYO.” In particular, “METASPEED EDGE TOKYO” drew attention as the model worn by Kana Kobayashi, who placed 7th in the women’s marathon held on September 14.

To communicate the brand slogan “Sound Mind, Sound Body”

In hosting these two events, ASICS consistently focused on creating content that embodies the brand slogan “Sound Mind, Sound Body.”

“Sound Mind, Sound Body” is a brand slogan derived from the founding philosophy that “a sound mind resides in a sound body,” expressing the belief that moving your body also has a positive impact on the mind. In line with that philosophy, these events were designed to help participants feel that “exercise is connected to the mind as well.”

We hope that both those who exercise regularly and those who do not will take their first step toward “moving their body,” inspired by the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships and ASICS’s initiatives.

At SUNNY SIDE UP, we handle PR communications for a wide range of products and services, including audio equipment.

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