Nike, Hypebeast and production companies PUSH and XY Content, launched “On The Run with Eugene Tong,” directed by XY’s Jonathon Lim.
The spot takes a look at the fashion director’s formative years growing up in New Jersey and yearly travels to Asia.
“I realized at an early age, like, no matter what it said on my passport, I would never fully be accepted as an American because of the way I looked,” Tong says at the opening of the spot.
But that feeling served as an inspiration to Tong, who speaks about how similar doubts about his ability to run marathons fuel his training over footage shot in both New York and Shanghai.
It’s an interesting effort for Nike, taking a look at the inspiration behind Eugene Tong‘s unique style in a way that tells a broader message. The spot is notable for Tong’s refreshing and honest take on growing up as an Asian American. It’s also a message that should resonate with anyone who has felt a sense of not fitting in and channeled that into something productive.
Credits:
Director- Jonathon Lim
Producer- Catrina Siu
Executive Producer, XY Content: Habib Yazd
DP Shanghai- Liam Gilmour
DP NYC- Frank Sun
Editor- David Murkin @Rafiki Creative
Production Assistant- Rose Yeow
NYC Production- XY Content
Music
“Rinse Repeat” Thrupence
“Pluto” Conrank
“Water From Thoughts” via 2020 recordings
Agency- Hypebeast
Client- Nike
Production Company- PUSH, XY Content
Locations- Shanghai, Brooklyn, New Jersey