The distance between dream and reality is perseverance
Just how much endurance does a sprinter need? The answer is: a lot more than you think. A new campaign by Swiss sportswear company, On, aims to reframe sport’s single-minded focus on winning – by highlighting perseverance as an equally essential quality for athletes. The Infinite Sprint campaign is led by a 171 second film, The Infinite Sprint, which paints an intimate portrait of German sprinter Alexandra Burghardt (29) and her 22-year-long journey to becoming a national champion – and is released just as the athlete celebrates another winning performance in the 200m race at the 2023 German Athletics Championships in Kassel.

Centred on the surprising message (for a sports brand) that winning isn’t everything, the film is a powerful reminder that mental strength and a resilient attitude are just as important as crossing the finish line first – whether you’re a professional, aspiring runner or running as a hobby or way of keeping fit.

Filmed in Burghardt’s hometown of Altötting, Germany, and featuring original archive moments from the very beginning of her career, the film portrays Burghardt’s journey with both a sense of childlike wonder and unwavering willpower. It juxtaposes vignettes of Burghardt’s gruelling training schedule with fictional scenes of a young girl of a similar age to Burghardt when she first set out to pursue her dream of becoming a professional sprinter and making it to the Olympics. The evocative visuals are overlaid by Burghardt narrating the challenges of her 22-year-long journey to become a champion – concluding with her powerful realisation that ‘The distance between dream and reality is perseverance – and with every day, this distance gets a little shorter, until the two meet.’

Gessica Giulini, On Sports Marketing Lead and producer of the film, says: “This is not meant to be a documentary. We were aiming to create a content piece with a narrative arc and personal insight into athletic life beyond the common “zero to hero”-story. We want to inspire people from all walks of life to connect with Alexandra’s story, to take heart and realize that, even though it might take longer than you think if you persevere, you can reach your goals. The most important thing is not to give up but to Dream On.”

Written by Los Angeles-based creative director Oliver DeVitre and shot by award-winning director and editor Mischa Meyer, The Infinite Sprint is a new style of content film, subverting the traditional sports documentary format with fictional elements in order to connect to a wider audience. The campaign was created by On in collaboration with Oliver de VeVitre’s transatlantic creative agency Gold for Cash Inc. and produced through Akkurat production company in Berlin.

The Infinite Sprint represents a new twist on a traditional format – showcasing the human behind the athlete in an authentic and unfiltered manner, yet also using a script and direction that casts a spotlight on the mental strength needed to make the necessary sacrifices, to believe in oneself despite all setbacks, and, most of all, to never give up. Stylistically, the film is carefully crafted to convey both the intensity and grace of Alexandra’s sprinting prowess and to let original footage taken from Burghardt family’s VHS tape archive from her childhood. Playing with time in different ways was the guiding principle for the use of different cameras, speed and angles – a high-speed drone typically used for capturing motorsport action was needed to capture the shots of her sprinting because she was too fast for a standard drone to keep up with.

Oliver DeVitre fka Frank, Creative Director, Gold For Cash Inc. comments: “This project was an amazing opportunity to team up with an athlete whose story has not been told yet and give it the emotional scale it deserved. I loved turning Alexandra’s decades-long, split-second battle into something that hits you right in the feels, no matter how invested you are in the world of track and field.”

Director Mischa Meyer, Akkurat adds: “We all have childhood dreams. To realize them and to stay true to your dream throughout your life is one of the biggest personal challenges a person can face. Putting this personal journey of Alexandra into a film was what really excited me about this project. An athlete at their peak and showing how far they’ve come to get there. And it was an absolute pleasure to work with someone equally dedicated to their craft as myself.”

DeVitre and Meyer have been collaborating with On since 2020. Currently based in LA, DeVitre is a creative director who has worked for some of the world’s top advertising agencies including Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam and VCCP Berlin, where he created award-winning work for global brands including Nike, BMW Motorrad Global, Sky, Heineken and Converse.

Also based in Los Angeles, Meyer is a commercial, music video, and film director and editor originally from Stuttgart, Germany. Following success in the commercials world, his first short film, ANT, was selected in over 30 international film festivals as well as winning a Young Directors Award at Cannes 2021, while his latest short film, In The Shadow of Palms, recently premiered at Tribeca.

About On
On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on-running.com.

About Alexandra Burghardt
Alexandra Burghardt heart beats for track and field, she is one of Germany’s foremost sprinters, specialising in the 100m and 200m. She was the 2021 German Champion and Olympic Semi-finalist over 100m, but she also was a European Championships Finalist over 200m last year and the German Champion in 2021. She won the 200m German Athletics Championship on 9 July 2023.

Surprisingly, she has also competed in the Winter Olympics, winning a Silver medal in 2021 in the bobsleigh category.

• European Champion 4x100m, 2022
• World Championships Bronze Medal 4x100m, 2022
• Silver Medal Olympics, Bobsleigh, 2021
• 1x German Champion 100m, 2x German Champion 200m

Credits
Athlete: Alexandra Burghardt
Campaign: The Infinite Sprint
Client: ON AG
Sports Marketing Lead: Gessica Giulini
Project Manager Athlete Strategy & Partnerships: Jacob Wessel

Agency: Gold For Cash Inc.
Creative Director: Oliver DeVitre fka Frank
Director: Mischa Meyer
DoP: Louis Lustermann

Production: AKKURAT Studios
Producer: Nian Tang
Production Assistant: Sophie Werche
Executive Producer: Rocco Kopecny
Music: Rwdy Music
Edit House: Cabin
Editor: Nathan Rodgers
Colorist: Mikey Pehanich
Postproduction / Online: SLGH Hamburg

Special Thanks to: Kasia März, Familie Burghardt, Dominic Bilic & Crossfit Altötting TV Altötting, SV Wacker
Burghausen, Freiwillige Feuerwehr Altötting, Horst Strömer

Awards
Gold Pencil in The Young Ones 2020
Bronze Cube in One Show ADC 2020
Finalist in New York Festivals

Credits
Campaign: Skaters Rights
Brand: Vans
Product: Vans pro classic
Team: Alexander Elmfeldt Rönnmark, Carl Laurén, Ludwig Bornholm, Lukas Andersson
School: Berghs School of Communication

Hungry Man’s Richard Bullock directs an emotional story of displacement, disappointment, sheer determination and hope in full-length documentary feature ‘RUN’

Run. That’s what refugees do. Their race starts with the sound of a gun, not a starter pistol. They run from burning villages and away from danger. Now, a group of athletes are running for the right to represent the 71 million displaced people in the world today.

To mark Saturday’s World Refugee Day, On – the Swiss sportswear company – has launched and co-produced an epic documentary feature to commemorate the millions of forcibly displaced people worldwide.

The story follows the legendary Kenyan athlete, Tegla Loroupe, as she mentors a group of talented athlete refugees on their arduous road to the (now cancelled) 2020 Tokyo Games. The Athlete Refugee Team has been captured in an emotionally charged documentary feature, considered to be the first production of its kind. A shattered dream, with an unexpected twist.

Filmed over three years, across eight countries in three different continents – ‘RUN’ is a story of the unwavering human spirit, empowerment and fearless bravery by a group of athlete refugees from the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. These athletes have been running from tribal gangs and civil war since they were children. Over the years, they have suffered trauma on an unimaginable scale and trained barefoot on dust-filled roads or in their backyards as residents of the UN refugee camps.

The 90-minute film is a co-production between On – the Swiss sportswear company – the Tegla Loroupe Foundation and Hungry Man Productions and it will be released on World Refugee Day (June 20) to commemorate the millions of forcibly displaced people worldwide. The film is now available to watch now on athleterefugeeteam.com

The film is directed by Richard Bullock of Hungry Man Productions, who took the lead in telling the story as he saw it, heard it, and through the words of the athletes featured. Bullock is a writer/director whose long-form films have run on the National Geographic Channel, Eurosport and the BBC. Before focusing on directing full time, Bullock built up an award-winning legacy in advertising as former Executive Creative Director at 180 Amsterdam and working with leading agencies such as Chiat/Day/Mojo, Hunt Lascaris TBWA, Cliff Freeman & Partners and Lowe Howard Spink.

The film begins in 2017 and covers three years and the unprecedented hurdles – not least a global pandemic – as the athletes navigate seeking asylum while competing overseas.

The final chapter of this story (for now) has had COVID-19 to compete with. With their training camp closed, the team were sent back to refugee camps and forced to put their Olympic ambitions on hold. The final arc of the film was therefore directed by Richard Bullock from afar, with the athletes self-shooting on Skype and smartphones in Israel, Germany, Kenya and Switzerland.

Self-shooting aside, throughout the film’s three-year journey Bullock ensured the athletes were empowered and in control of their narratives.

Richard Bullock, the director, says: “Refugees get a lot of people talking for them, so I made a conscious effort to allow the audience to listen to the characters directly. The refugee athletes are all incredibly wise and thoughtful. From very early on, I tried to uncover how they were able to remain so hopeful and positive when the world had given them little reason to believe it was anything but violence and horror. I learnt an incredible amount about coping with difficulties and facing uncertainty from them. I think that’s the biggest takeaway – it’s not about running at all. It’s about resilience and overcoming hardship. If you’re ever faced with a mountain to climb, the words and actions of these athletes will resonate profoundly.”

The inspiring words of one athlete, in particular, stuck with the director. Gai Nyang told him: “I dream with my eyes open. I do my dreaming during the day and I always think and say to myself, there is still a chance to make something of this life.”

On has had a partnership with the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation (TLPF) since 2017, where 31 refugee athletes receive housing and training. The majority of athletes selected by World Athletics (IAAF) to represent the Athlete Refugee Team are from the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.

Olivier Bernhard, the co-founder of On, says: “This story embodies the very essence of transcending sport and championing the human spirit. World Refugee Day and World Refugee Week is a time when humanitarians across the globe come together to celebrate life and support the victims who have been displaced. Their race began when they were six or seven years old, with the sound of a gun, not the starter pistol,” he adds. “Isolated from their families, these athletes are not just hopefuls for the Olympics, but refugees worldwide. For the chosen few who enter the Olympic stadium under the flag of no nation, their achievement will be unmatched by any other athlete. We are pleased their story, talent and spirit is being introduced and celebrated with our longest ever feature film, ‘RUN’. We consider this our gift to the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and Athlete Refugee Team, paying homage to this special day. The human spirit knows no limits.”

Credits
Director: Richard Bullock
Executive Producers:Feliciano Robayna, Matt Buels, Bryan Buckley
Producers: Matt Buels, Jack Beardsley, Hannah Stone, Sarah MacNeil
Production Company: Hungry Man Productions
Cinematography: Jordan Maddocks, Theodore Tennant, Peter Eastgate, Luke Scully, Richard Bullock
Editors: Philip Horn, Lily Davis, Peter Barton
Post Production: The Editors, Sydney
Executive Post Producer: Nicoletta Rousianos
Post Production Supervisor: Alistair Pratten
Assistant Editors: Carly Anne Kenneally, Rikki-Li, ClarkGrace O’Connell, Anna Downie
Colourist: Christine Trodd
Film Identity: Sezay Altinok
Motion Design: Machines of Loving Grace
Designer: Brett McManus
Sound: Bonsta
Creative PR: Jessica Hartley, The Humblebrag

Samsung SmartSuit – short track
If you strive for the highest achievable you must go deep, perform optimally and give everything until you reach your magic limit. And you have to go through that. Do what you can’t! Until now it was estimated on the basis of eye and feeling how deep short trackers were. While every millimeter counts! Because the deeper you sit, the faster you go. In co-creation with the short-track national coach Jeroen Otter and movement scientist Bjorn de Laat, Samsung has developed this suit that measures down to the millimeter the height of the hips to the ice.

Samsung SmartSuit innovative skating suit with app

Tags:
Technology, Latest Tech News, Best Innovative Campaigns, Innovative Technology ideas, Best Technology Campaigns, short track

Braids of Strength is the third and latest instalment of the WanitaBesi (which translates to ‘Iron Lady’) campaign, identifying sport as a key ingredient for the next generation of strong women. Through sports, girls learn important life skills such as teamwork, leadership and confidence. But globally, by the age of 14, Girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of Boys.

Launched with two films produced by Directors Think Tank, it tells the inspiring stories of two of Malaysia’s national athletes who when faced with extreme difficulty, still stayed in sport:

Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (National Gymnast Malaysia)
Who has suffered multiple injuries and an astonishing cyber-bullying backlash after winning double gold medals.

Nur Suryani (National Shooter Malaysia)
Who at eight months was the most heavily pregnant athlete to compete at the Olympic games.

Throughout both films, the tying of a hair braid is used to symbolise the strength to stay in sport, highlighting a unique partnership with Malaysia’s largest sports and fitness chain, Fitness First.

In celebration of World Women’s Day, customers who purchase any of Pantene’s range of shampoos will receive a golden ribbon and any woman wearing a braid during the month of March can gain Nationwide free access to Fitness First and Celebrity Fitness.

Further research commissioned by Pantene Malaysia revealed that, despite 87% of people believing that sports help build confidence, the perceived damage that heat and sweat cause to hair is a big barrier. This led to the team of researchers and scientists at Pantene to develop a uniquely engineered braiding technique to keep hair both strong and beautiful. The ‘Braid of Strength’ reduces friction by immobilising the hair strands, prevents tangling and reduces sweat.

Anggia Pulungan, Haircare Commercial Director of P&G Malaysia, said, “At Pantene, we are rooted in the belief that strong is beautiful. For a woman, her hair is both a personal and a public matter; it is a big part of her confidence. Through Braids of Strength, Pantene wants to encourage more women to embrace the #WANITABESI spirit, pursue any sport of their choice and eliminate their worry of self-image. By showcasing the perfect way to braid their hair, women get the confidence boost they need to look good, and it positively helps them to perform in sports.”

Credits:
Credits
Advertising Agency: Grey, Malaysia
Copywriter: Brendan Low
Art Director: Sara Lai
Producer: Suzy Chiang
Executive Creative Director: Graham Drew
Creative Director: Andrew Fong
Account Executive: Vivian Khoo
Brand Director: Daphne Wong
General Manager: Jo Yau
Production Company: Think Tank Directors
Post Production Company: Glass Fin
Audio Post Company: Fuse Asia

Tags:
Grey, Glass Fin, Fuse Asia Sdn Bhd, Grey AMEA, Haircare, Farah Ann, National Gymnast Malaysia, Nur Suryani, National Shooter Malaysia, #WanitaBesi, WanitaBesi campaign, Pantene, Braids of Strength, sports, Women, World Women’s Day, International women’s Day, International women’s Day Campaign, Women’s Day Ads, Women’s Day Campaign, Grey Group, Pantene Malaysia, fitness, Fitness First, Celebrity Fitness, Beauty Ads, Olympic, Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, P&G Malaysia, P&G Campaigns, Pantene #WanitaBesi

Credits:
Campaign: Canadian Olympic Committee: #NowOrNever
Advertising Agency: Cossette, Toronto, Canada
Chief Marketing Officer: Derek Kent
Brand Connections / Digital Strategy Director: Todd Denis
Brand Marketing Director: Kim Astley
Executive Creative Director: Glen Hunt
Associate Creative Directors: Yusong Zhang, Dhaval Blatt
Art Director: Dave Laing
Copywriter: Heather Kinoshita
Group Account Director: Erin O’Connor
Brand Supervisor: Jamie Artkin
Producer: Barb Gibson
Strategists: Jason Chaney, Kevin McHugh
Technology Strategist: Joe Dee
Director: Mark Zibert / Sons and Daughters, Jordan Dashner / Descendants TV
Executive Producer: Jeff Darragh / Sons and Daughters
Photographer: Andy Ferreira
Typographer: Ben Weeks
Editor: Michelle Czukar
Executive Producer: Sam McLaren
Colourist: Roslyn Di Sisto / Smith
On-line Artist: James Andrews / Smith
Producer: Emma Wojick / Smith
Creative Director: Daenen Bramberger / Apollo Studios
Executive Producer: Tom Hutch / Apollo Studios