Have fun while you run

The setting is very playful with a fit Mahendra Singh Dhoni asking an even fitter Bipasha Basu out on a date. She agrees, only if he can beat her in a race. The next morning, the two set out to race. Basu creates hurdles for Dhoni by distracting people on the way. Thus, when he finally makes it to the finish line, she’s already waiting for him, but is willing to give him a second chance.

The ad ends with a shot of the two starting their run the next morning. The road is painted with the Reebok logo and the tagline, “Your Move”.

The 30-second ad — Reebok’s first in nearly two years (the last one it came out with was the “run easy” campaign during the cricket World Cup) — is a result of a global survey conducted by the sportswear maker where it learnt that while grind and sweat are integral to running, having fun is just as important. Thus the brief to Reebok’s agency of four years, McCann Erickson, was to make fitness fun.

“There is a happy feeling to the whole thing. The idea of challenging each other and having fun while you’re at it is very appealing,” says Reebok India Director (marketing) Sajid Shamim.

Adding to the fun quotient is the shoe in question, which was launched towards the end of 2008. “These are called Hexride shoes and have a honeycomb structure which serves as a cushion and makes running much more fun,” explains Shamim.

As for the choice of celebrity, Shamim and McCann Erickson Senior Vice-president Debashish Paul believe they have a winner. “Both of them represent a certain quotient of fitness and glamour,” cites Paul. That and perhaps the fact that cricket and Bollywood manage to attract maximum eye balls has Reebok smiling all the way to the bank.

The 360-degree campaign comprising the television commercial, outdoor, print and digital will run for the entire year.