THE STEP
Take
with
THE STEP
TAKE IT
THE STEP
BRAND
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
THE STEP perfectly aligns with ASICS' mantra "Sound Mind. Sound Body." The mind and the body are intrinsically linked: each sharpens the other. Taking that first step isn’t just a physical act, it’s a mental breakthrough.
It’s the moment when clarity, courage, and motion meet. ASICS champions that connection—the belief that when the mind moves, the body follows, and when the body moves, the mind is freed.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
APPROACH
NONLINEAR STORYTELLING
TONAL JUXTAPOSITION
PARTICLE VFX
As the run comes to an end, we'll cut back in time to the beginning of the run, to focus on THE STEP. This jump back in time will pull the viewer deeper into the story.
This :60 anthem commercial uses three key elements to tell this story beautifully and impactfully.
During this jump, we'll switch from an & ethereal dreamy tone to a gritty and inspirational tone to illustrate the after/before emotional states connected to running.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
A particle visualizer will be employed on specific running shots to show the energy running creates. This will enhance the dreamlike tone and compliment our primary footage capture.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
STORY
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
NOTE:
The following voiceover is a temporary reference to communicate what this commercial could sound like.
Ultimately, the final script will be developed collaboratively with ASICS and DAYTRIP.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
VO: You'll notice: the look, the smell, the texture.
As our runners enter the city, their senses of sight, smell, and touch are engaged: brick buildings fly by, morning coffee fills the air, and cool pavement touches their soles.
These shots are handheld and frenetic to create a sense of the runner's POV. Then we cut to a slow motion shoe shot hitting the pavement and use the partical visualizer to emphasize this imapct.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO: You'll catch a rhythm...you'll lose it.
Beat
You'll catch it again.
Our runners are in flow, gliding through the city until a walk signal flashing a red hand stops them in their tracks (music cuts). They move in place as tension builds.
...
WALK SIGN.
They spring back into motion (music resumes).
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
VO:
You’ll slow. You’ll stiffen. You’ll labor.
In slow motion, our runners show signs of wear: they sweat, grimace, and gasp for air.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO:
You’ll feel it. Damp, hard, and cold…Settle.
Beat
The body awakens. The mind follows.
Pavement flies by. The faint pitter-patter of shoes hitting the pavement grows louder.
Two runners' shoes enter the frame, already hitting their stride.
Cutting to a wide shot, the runners are in an alleyway running away from camera. The first beams of morning light illuminate the city ahead. Their journey is underway.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
VO: You'll search for more...
Beat.
Only to realize you've had it all along.
Our runners find the motivation to push forward and they spring out of slow motion.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO:
The power comes from the decision. And you chose movement.
We track our runners from a profile view as they head towards the finish. Their feet blur as they pick up speed. The music climaxes as they fly by the camera.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO: Then, the quiet...
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO: The calm.
You'll soak it all in.
We immediately cut to a peaceful scene: our runners resting in an urban park. Sounds of nature fill the space while the city quietly hums in the background.
Their breathing evens and one runner gently stretches. They are enjoying the calm and the buzz.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
VO:
Mind and Body. Uplifted.
You earned all this...
One runner stands up, looks towards the sun, and shuts their eyes. The mind and body are at peace.
Their legs lift off the ground, their body starts to float. A wide shot shows our runner just levitating off the ground as the music crescendos.
The mind and the body -- uplifted by movement.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
VO: Because you took THE STEP.
Take yours with ASICS.
ALT VO: Harmony starts with motion. Harmony starts with THE STEP.
Take yours with ASICS.
We cut back in time to the blueish dawn where it all began. One runner double knots their ASICS sneaker. The other lightly swings their arms. They stand side-by-side, braving the cold, determined.
Without a word, they both take THE STEP, and start trudging towards camera as we track back. We've come full circle to our opening shot: feet hitting the pavement.
FIN.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
STORY
Pavement flies by. The faint pitter-patter of shoes hitting the pavement grows louder.
Two runners' shoes enter the frame, already hitting their stride. The run is on.
Next, we dive into all the micro-moments of the run.
The lows are intense and the highs are elevated — we experience them all intimately.
An omniscient VO narrates these moments as they occur on screen.
As our two subjects cooldown, one runner looks towards the afternoon sun with
closed eyes. The music swells as they start to magically ascend towards the heavens.
Fin? Nope.
We BREAK the ascension & cut back to early morning — blue hour.
The music stops, leaving the natural sounds of the awakening city.
One runner knots their shoe, and they both summon the will to take THE STEP.
Holding a straight-on two shot, they slowly start to trudge forward. The run is on.
The piece ends where it began: two runners in motion, feet pounding the pavement.
STORY
THE STEP
It all starts here
THE STEP
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
Is it mile two? Mile four? Mile eight?
Not even close.
So, what is the hardest part of running?
Simple. It's taking THE STEP -- that first step of your running journey.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
Within a single run, there are a wide range of experiences:
→ catching a rhythm
→ gasping for air
→ the runner's high
→ voices of doubt
→ the final push
But none of these exist without arguably, the most important part: THE STEP
IDEA
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
TONE
First: Ethereal, inspirational, dreamy
Then: gritty, real, grounded
Using this tonal shift, we take the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster that increases engagement and connection.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
MUSIC
Our music track will mirror the energy of the run: building as our runner's pick up speed, dropping out during slow motion, and pulsing as we head towards the climax.
A swelling electronic score that feels symphonic and human would play well -- supplying the required intensity, then pulling back for calmer moments.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
LOCATION
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
We'll keep our city ambigious, avoiding recognizable landmarks that would reveal its location. This way,
THE STEP can happen anywhere to anyone.
Since THE STEP has both gritty realism and natural beauty, we want a city that addresses both these environments.
San Francisco, Vancouver, or Seattle would check these boxes.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
SOUND
Sound design will play a big role in this piece. We'll lean into natural sounds during the open to hone in on footsteps in an awakening city.
As the piece builds, so will the soundscape; adding in transitional textures and city sounds as our runners catch a rhythm.
When they start to fatigue in slow motion, we'll key on intimate sounds: heart beats, strained breathing, and muscles screaming (ringing).
Lastly, we'll employ ethereal and supernatural sounds to build up the magic as we head to the climax.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
Take
THE STEP
with
CASTING
The two runners featured in THE STEP should resonate with the everyday runner: they shouldn't be too athletic or muscular, nor too novice or out of shape.
Therefore, we'll select everyday-looking runners to be inclusive in our representation. They should be young adults that look approachable and confident.
One runner will be female and the other male. Additionally, our duo will consist of different ethnicities.
Because we want to encourage anyone and everyone to take THE STEP.
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
DIRECTOR'S TREATMENT
CASTING
Talent References
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
THANK YOU
We came up with the idea for THE STEP before realizing how seamlessly it connects with ASICS’ ethos of Sound Mind, Sound Body.
The belief that movement brings balance is something we all share. Whether it’s running, cycling, surfing, or yoga, we each pursue that moment of clarity and peace that follows movement.
We’d be thrilled to bring this idea to life together — to capture the connection between motion and mindfulness in a way that feels true to ASICS.
Thank you for considering THE STEP; we’d love to explore it further with you.
IDEA
PRODUCED BY DAYTRIP
While the THE STEP happens in the body,
it starts in the mind.
By focusing on this decision -- to take THE STEP -- we are humanizing the running experience and relating to runners of all skill levels.
This :60 anthem commercial is a motivational call to all runners, to take THEIR STEP and start their running journey.
And most of all, to take it with ASICS.
CREATIVE BY ALEX PAULSEN
