Venables Bell & Partners continues its “Be More Human” campaign for Reebok with “25,915 Days,” which refers to the average human lifespan in case you’re feeling kinda creepy.
The spot opens on 60-year-old Debbie Suzuki running in the Reebok-sponsored Spartan Race before looking back at her entire life. All the while, text counts up to 25,915 days, documenting the days the woman has left at each stage in her life. The message, clearly implied, is that viewers should make the most of the time they have by staying physically fit.
Of course, that might also buy them a little extra time…
It’s a bit of a morbid approach, really, but it’s handled well enough by VB&P and Epoch Films director Michael Lawrence. Some viewers may initially be taken aback, but it’s clearly intended to be an inspirational call to action while showing that Reebok can be a fitness partner for life (they make infant Reeboks, right?). It could conceivably backfire as viewers realize that life is too short to waste time caring about what brand of sneakers they wear, but we doubt they’ll think so far ahead.
“As a brand we always want to make sure we’re being authentic with who we cast, featuring real athletes who are living our brand point of view,” VB&P creative director Tom Sharpf told Adweek. “In this spot, we needed to not only find multiple runners throughout various life stages, but who could also believably be the same person. For the other life stages, we cast females that were believable younger versions of Debbie—sharing certain characteristics, like eye color, hair color and running style.”
“We really liked the idea of telling this story through one person, in this case a heroine, because it clearly demonstrates how being more human isn’t about a stage in life, one sporting event, or one moment. It’s a lifelong commitment to bettering oneself,” added Reebok’s vice president of global brand communications Yan Martin. “Singling out and reflecting one person’s lifelong passion and commitment really drives that message home.”
CREDITS
Client: Reebok
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Executive Creative Director: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tom Scharpf
Associate Creative Director: Crockett Jeffers
Art Director: Aisha Hakim
Copywriter: Jimmy Burton
Head of Strategy: Michael Davidson
Senior Brand Strategist: Jake Bayham
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Executive Producer: Joyce Chen
Assistant Producer: Julia Oetker-Kast
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Michael Lawrence
Director of Photography: Mathieu Plainfosse
Executive Producer: Melissa Culligan
Producer: Anura Idupuganti
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editorial Producer: Dina Ciccotello
Editor: David Brodie
Assistant Editor: Patrick Tuck
Sound Design: Therapy Studios
Sound Designers: Eddie Kim
Music: Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Night Sweats, ‘I Never Get Old’
Mix: Lime Studios
Mixer: Loren Silber
V/FX: a52
Executive V/FX Producer: Patrick Nugent
V/FX Producer: Adam Reeb
Lead Flame Artist: Andy Barrios
Group Brand Director: Michael Chase
Brand Director: Nicole Spinelli
Brand Supervisor: Julia Connelly
Senior Brand Manager: Adam Caron
Brand Manager: Susannah Wherry
Project Manager: Katrina Strich
Director Of Business Affairs: Susan Conklin
Business Affairs/Talent Manager: Sametta Gbilia
—Integrated
Group Communication Strategy Director: Gavin Jones
Senior Digital Producer: Sarah Betts
Director Of Digital Strategy & Analytics: Jeff Burger
Director Of Experience Design: Jeff Teicher