Asics Makes Move Into Long-Form Content with Mind Games Doc

Last week, Asics dropped a feature length documentary with the intention of proving that exercise leads to improved cognitive function. Mind Games: The Experiment follows 4 champion mind athletes: a chess master, mahjong pro, Esports gamer and a memory champion who had all neglected exercise, in one instance, for their whole life.

(SPOILER ALERT: The results of the doco feature towards the end of this article)

Asics is arguably the leading sports brand spotlighting the importance of exercise on mental health with recent campaigns such as their Dramatic Transformations activation- all part of their wider marketing strategy which echoes the acronym ASICS, “anima sana in corpore sano” which translates as "a sound mind, in a sound body"

In the documentary narrated by Stephen Fry, all 4 subjects were put through an expertly designed 4 month training plan with both cardio and strength training, totalling 150 minutes of exercise a week. 5 times more than they were achieving previously. Whilst some struggled, each participant embraced the challenge whole-heartedly. Ben Pridmore, a 3-time World Memory Champion who had never exercised before, was skeptical of the impact but again, threw himself into the challenge, getting out power walking every day. The other 3 participants, Sherry Nhan (Esports), Ryoei Hirano (Mahjong) and Kassa Korley (Chess) proved more adept at picking up the pace.

The results? Confidence levels grew 44%, concentration improved by 33%, and anxiety levels decreased by 43%. ​ Cognitive function was also boosted on average by 10%, and ultimately showed that exercise was equally as effective at boosting brain function as learning a second language, reading daily, or doing a puzzle every day. All in all, the conclusion isn’t that surprising. However, the extent to which exercise impacts cognitive function is. And in an elite arena, even a fraction of the 10% average improvement is a staggering advantage over competitors. Brought into the physical realm, that’s 12 minutes in a 2 hour marathon.

Results aside, there is no hiding from the fact that this is an ad from Asics. A more insightful and subtle ad. Think back to Nike’s Breaking2 documentary and the sheer amount of product placement it featured. Mind Games: The Experiment is no different, and you know what? I don’t care in the slightest.

Brands are starting to understand the importance of long form content with their audiences. It’s a question of value exchange. The brand gets exposure. The consumer get something decent to watch for 70 minutes. Whilst the film critic side of me thinks it could have been closer to 40 or 50 minutes, the marketing side of me hopes to see more of this kind of thing with athletics brands. And partnering with a streaming giant like Amazon Prime is a surefire way to get eyeballs on you brand.