The activity, which will run throughout Euro 2004 and the Athens Olympic Games, aims to achieve standout from the athlete-oriented marketing strategy adopted by heavyweights Nike and Adidas.
The ads, created by Amsterdam agency StrawberryFrog, will target media-savvy trendsetters by promoting the Japanese heritage of the retro fashion brand as it competes against the likes of Puma.
Cultural icons including Bruce Lee and, more recently, Uma Thurman in the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill, have sported Onitsuka Tiger shoes.
Activity in the UK, Europe and the US will feature two print ads styled in the vein of posters for 60s Japanese action movies. In Europe, the ads will appear in emerging lifestyle magazines such as 34, which is being launched by former editors of Wallpaper.
One print ad showcases the Super Marup marathon shoe, featuring a man in a shiny red jump suit and tiger-patterned helmet being pursued by a Ninja witch on a motorcycle. The second is for the Gantrai, a mountain-trail shoe.
Onitsuka Tiger shoes originally found fame after being worn by several Gold medal-winning Japanese athletes in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
To capitalise on this, StrawberryFrog has created thousands of cans of 'hero' breath collected from these athletes, with the idea that it can spur people on to great achievements.
The cans will be distributed at the Athens Olympics via retail outlets stocking Onitsuka Tiger trainers, as well as on eBay to boost word-of-mouth publicity.
Last summer, Asics relaunched its 70s basketball shoe, The Fabre, supported by activity across five countries.
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