Running Is For Pussies

We’ve resisted the urge to chime in on the new RBK campaign called “Run Easy.” We all know it’s bad, so what’s the point of adding to the fray? Yeah, that was until we read Adrant’s rip on the new Pearl Izumi ads titled, “We Are Not Joggers”:

The elitist mini-rant against jogging is cumbersome and a pain in the ass to read. Oh yeah, and way to alienate all of Evian-sipping, yoga-posing jogger-kind. Care to turn off the sprinters and trotters next? We’re pretty sure they don’t need tennis shoes.

We have to concur. The flash is clunky, the message lost and, and, and… You know what? We were going to say something biting about both of these campaigns using “running easy” as a message, but fuhgetaaboutit. It’s not even worth it. Instead, here’s the conversation we just had with the random guy next to us:

Agency Spy: Have you seen the new Reebok ads on the subway?
Random Guy: Yeah.
Agency Spy: Are you a runner?
Random Guy: No, but those ads don’t make me want to start.
Agency Spy: If you were, would you “run easy?”
Random Guy: Um… I don’t think so. Isn’t running about like, um… pushing yourself and stuff? Like besting yourself or something?
Agency Spy: Yeah, guess so, but Reebok says the ads are about “just getting people outdoors” and “activating people to get up and move.”
Random Guy: Oh… Yeah, well… the images of people vomiting doesn’t really make that clear, you know?

Exactly. Check out other “real consumer” reaction:
Run, Rosie, Run – Who’s not going to buy Reebok.
Training Hard, Hardly Training – Who is insulted.