Saucony’s 4-Minute Ad Celebrates the Community in Solo Running

Saucony wants to show that while running is largely an individual sport, there’s community in the activity, too.

The brand’s new campaign, “The Runners,” released Friday, is a four-minute film highlighting all the ways that people run through a city. The runners wear five different models of Saucony’s shoes, including the Endorphin Azura and ProGrid Guide 7. 

The spot opens to a voicemail greeting, followed by a narrator asking “why do any of us run?” We first see a man dressed in a tie, slacks, and running shoes sprinting down the street with a bouquet of flowers after trying to catch a bus. A group of runners pass him, panning to more runners traveling across a city. 

Throughout the film, powerful narration encourages the runners to keep going while sticking to their motivation. “Run a 10K, run your story, run your ritual,” says a narrator. Another narrator reminds runners of the outcome: “By the time you reach the horizon, you kind of realize the road has been carrying you the whole time, just like all the people you met along the way.”

The voiceovers were done by Saucony’s own team in Asia, EMEA, and North America.

Professional runners Sam Chelanga (who is backed by Saucony) and Hazem Miawad are featured in the spot.

The next time we see the man with the flowers, he’s running up a flight of stairs to catch a train, followed by a cycler speeding through the streets.

The spot ends with a final voiceover asking what it feels like to run. “I don’t know—suppose it feels good,” says a voice before the ad ends and encourages viewers to find their pace, people, and to “Run as One.”

The stories featured are intentionally individual while sending a greater message about community, Gus Johnston, creative director of Saucony, told ADWEEK. There are many different kinds of runners, from solo runners, running clubs, everyday people who just happen to be running, and professional runners.

“It’s telling a story about a group of people moving with intention and purpose at a pace of their choosing—that’s a deeply human story,” he said. “I think anyone could watch it—they might not be a runner in the true sense of the word—and get the emotion and that sense of community and connection.”

Johnston added that the film uses a one-shot technique to feel immersive. The decision to go long with a four-minute spot helped to build momentum in the story, he said.

“I didn’t make a four-minute film as an indulgence—it felt like the right length,” he said. “There’s a simplicity to it but also something incredibly captivating about watching people move throughout the world.”

Duo Hot Icarus directed the film, and Stept Studios is the production company. Saucony’s parent company Wolverine Worldwide shot the photography through in-house production team “The Den,” and the photographer is James Lacroix.

The campaign is running across digital, streaming TV, social, and out-of-home. Outdoor placements will also appear in Philadelphia for the Love Philly Run on March 29—a half marathon sponsored by Saucony.

Saucony premiered the film during an event at New York’s Metrograph.

Moving from performance to emotion

“The Runners” is the latest work to come out of Saucony’s ongoing, year-old “Run as One” initiative. The goal is to evolve the brand’s positioning from performance to lifestyle with emotion-driven marketing. Saucony’s recent holiday campaign similarly highlighted running as an emotional activity as opposed to a solo activity.

“What we’ve worked hard at is democratizing the brand and taking running to a larger audience,” said Rob Griffiths, brand president of Saucony. “Sometimes it might not manifest as running—it might manifest as movement, walking, and being active.”

Wolverine Worldwide’s fourth-quarter revenue hit $517.5 million, up 4.6% year-over-year. Alongside Merrell, Saucony remains one of the company’s growth brands—net sales were $125.9 million during the fourth quarter, representing a 26.4% year-over-year gain.