On has launched “Race for the Feeling,” a global campaign featuring marathon champion Hellen Obiri that introduces the next generation of Cloudboom racing shoes and marks the debut of the brand’s “Run On Clouds” platform. Directed by Parker Schmidt and filmed in Boulder, Colorado, the spot shifts the narrative from traditional metrics like split times to the sensory and emotional experience of running at peak performance.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the spot.
The Details:
- Across the U.S. general population audience, On’s :60 “Introducing the Next Generation of Race-Day Speed” found a very strong audience among younger viewers 18-35:
- Aside from females 36-49, other audience segments responded at the average level measured for footwear ads over the past year.
- The underperformance among females 36-49 reflected poor breakthrough ability and Watchability (likely impacted by the longer length). Low Relevance and sense of Change led to poor Desire among these viewers.
- Aside from females 36-49, other audience segments responded at the average level measured for footwear ads over the past year.
Among viewers 18-35:
- Among viewers 18-35, the spot delivered overall response (as measured by Ace Score) +39 pts above the one-year footwear norm, landing in the 80th percentile — a healthy result, but one built on breadth rather than a standout creative element:
- Younger U.S. viewers found the :60 informative and relatable; however, the creative execution was neither breakthrough nor perceived as more re-watchable than the average footwear ad. A summary word cloud of viewer commentary on the ad points to the ‘long’ and ‘boring’ nature of the ad for some in the audience, likely tempering Watchability and Likeability.
- Still, the creative earned above-norm response from both men and women 18-35 and persuaded 57% to positive purchase/visit intent (outpacing benchmarks for this audience by +4 pts).
- However, follow through on this intent will be limited by poor brand recall. Just four in ten successfully recalled the On brand on an unaided basis after a single view. Although some recalled some form of ‘cloud,’ more recalled ‘running’ or ‘shoes’ and 45% indicated they couldn’t find a brand, didn’t recognize the logo, or the branding went by too quickly. This is On’s most pressing edit to consider. The motivation and positioning the ad works to build is not being attributed to On’s brand often enough and with clarity.
- Younger U.S. viewers found the :60 informative and relatable; however, the creative execution was neither breakthrough nor perceived as more re-watchable than the average footwear ad. A summary word cloud of viewer commentary on the ad points to the ‘long’ and ‘boring’ nature of the ad for some in the audience, likely tempering Watchability and Likeability.
- Second-by-second trace results identify opportunities for edits if shorter cut-down(s) are being considered; areas where viewer engagement flattens or declines point to scenes not critical to the 18-35 viewer experience (shown below):
- Sentiment on the ad from 18-35s in the U.S. indicates a visually exceptional ad that successfully created emotional resonance with engaged viewers. However, pacing issues and delayed brand identification are limiting effectiveness.
- The premium aesthetic successfully communicated brand quality and positioned On as an aspirational performance brand. On’s positioning around the emotional/philosophical aspects of running was differentiating but could be balanced with clearer product benefits. Still, the “run on clouds” concept registered positively with aware viewers. On might consider adding a brief product benefit callout (lightweight, responsive, etc.) to give a broader base of viewers concrete reasons to consider purchase beyond inspiration.
- However, frequent complaints were seen about the ad being “boring,” “slow,” and “too long” for a 60-second spot, which suggests creating :30 and/or :15 cuts that maintain visual impact while accelerating pacing. On might also test faster editing rhythms in the first 15 seconds to hook viewers before the contemplative moments. The current approach may work better for owned channels than paid media.
- The artistic approach sacrificed some brand memorability—a key edit for a brand still building awareness in a heavily advertised and competitive category.
- Some mentioned that the ad felt targeted to a narrow consumer segment, and would have preferred the ad be a bit more inclusive to ‘everyman’ runners.
- Sentiment on the ad from 18-35s in the U.S. indicates a visually exceptional ad that successfully created emotional resonance with engaged viewers. However, pacing issues and delayed brand identification are limiting effectiveness.
Sample comments among 18-35s on the :60 “Introducing the Next Generation of Race-Day Speed”
“This felt like a cinematic trailer and was so well edited that it shocked me.”
Female 18-35
“I thought it grabbed my attention in the beginning, but then it started to become longer, and then I got bored.”
Female 18-35
“Shoes look comfy, but try to appeal to a wider audience and not just athletes.”
Female 18-35
“I identified with the message, but it was unclear what brand was being advertised.”
Male 18-35
“I liked all the visuals and the inspiring message. But, sometimes it was a bit boring and slow paced.”
Male 18-35
“It was not an attention grabbing ad. But it was one that the more I watched the more I got sucked into it, like a slow-burn movie that wins at The Oscars. I really liked it.”
Male 18-35
“I really liked the ad. It’s very motivating in my opinion. I really liked the message and I did notice the shoes. They look very comfortable and make me want to buy them”
Female 18-35
“Ad was boring, it was slow and it really didn’t give a clear description of what the ad was even for.”
Male 18-35
“Makes me want those shoes. Relaxing and better suited for light running.”
Male 18-35
“I wish it had said more than once what the shoe was called.”
Female 18-35
“It made me want to buy a pair of shoes to run in, the actor made it seem like the shoes were very comfy.”
Female 18-35
“The scenes are really similar and feel like it’s repeated, but I understood the message well.”
Male 18-35
“I think that the ad was very visually stunning and had some good messaging, but I feel like it was specifically targeted towards long distance, professional athletes. I wish there was a little more representation for regular people in there also.”
Female 18-35
- While “Next Generation of Race-Day Speed” looked good in isolation, it was less of a standout when compared to what some competitors achieved this year within the same audience (18-35), category, and time period:
- On’s new spot had a weaker competitive edge in the area of breakthrough (Attention and Likeability) vs Skechers, Relevance vs New Balance, and Watchability vs both (each were shorter form spots).
- Nike earned a stronger breakthrough even with the same :60 ad length, and stood out for its use of characters (Kevin Durant and Drake).
- Nike and Skechers built higher consumer intent, the latter through a highly informative, product-centric and successful creative that communicated features/benefits and displayed multiple style options. This ad was built to drive purchase.
- On’s new spot had a weaker competitive edge in the area of breakthrough (Attention and Likeability) vs Skechers, Relevance vs New Balance, and Watchability vs both (each were shorter form spots).
- Response to On’s new :60 spot suggests media placements in sports programming targeting 18-35 U.S. viewers:
- While the broad gen pop audience (other than F 36-49) responded at or above normative levels, brand recall was a significant issue, with most simply seeing the ad as being about ‘running’ and ‘shoes’. Multiple audio mentions with simultaneous onscreen logos/branding would best be included in all future creative.
Ineffective creative, even if delivered to the right audience, results in missed opportunity and performance shortfalls. Great creative delivered poorly also results in failed campaigns.
Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.
Creative Agency: On’s In-house Team