Adidas's message in its new TV commercial is pretty clear. The a3 (pronounced "a-cubed") is as close as you will get to shoes that do the running for you.
With the strapline "more power to you" the a3 Cushion shoes are designed to cushion, guide and drive the runner giving more comfort and more performance. As the spot opens, we see the surprised faces of people watching a pair of a3 Cushion shoes that seemingly run by themselves.
At first the shoes act together, as if an invisible man is doing his afternoon workout. But as the shoes go further, we see that they are not attached to a body -- at least, not a human body -- acting independently by running under a truck and jumping through a tyre. Finally, one of the shoes is knocked over by a shopkeeper sweeping the sidewalk, and the mystery is revealed: Two breathless slugs crawl out from the shoes, exchange knowing looks, then continue their run.
This spot is the first work created by Adidas and 180/TBWA and is part of a campaign launching the a3 technology globally. The spots will air beginning this week around the world.
The product featured in the ad is the a3 Cushion, the second running model to feature the revolutionary a3 technology. The TV work is part of a campaign comprising print, online and point of sale activity.
Neil Simpson, head of global advertising for Adidas, said: "a3 is our benchmark technology for the coming years, and this campaign speaks in a fun, fresh way about how our technology can provide more power to athletes."
Adidas unveiled a limited edition version of the a3 shoe earlier this year. The sportswear giant created just 2,000 pairs of the a3 trainer, which it targeted at dedicated runners.
The a3 was designed by Adidas' in-house innovations team, which works on engineering advances in sports footwear and apparel technology.
Retailing for about 拢100 a pair, the shoe contains what Adidas calls an "energy management system" to improve the way the foot strikes the ground and make athletes' movements more efficient.
The a3 launch follows Adidas' unveiling of ClimaCool, a new trainer that offers increased ventilation.
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