"The never-ending sprint": On shows why winning isn't everything
The 22-year career of German sprinter and two-time Olympian Alexandra Burghardt is at the heart of the latest On film, which celebrates perseverance as an outstanding quality in athletes.
Sprinters need a lot of stamina. With its current campaign, the Swiss running shoe specialist On wants to question the sports world's one-sided fixation on winning - and highlight perseverance as at least as important a quality for athletes.
The campaign is spearheaded by the short film "Der unendliche Sprint" ("The Endless Sprint"), which in 171 seconds paints an intimate portrait of Germany's top athlete Alexandra Burghardt and her 22-year journey to becoming a national champion. The film is being released just as the 29-year-old athlete celebrates another success: winning the 200-meter dash at the 2023 German Athletics Championships in Kassel.
"Winning isn't everything" is the campaign's unusual message for a sports brand, showing that mental strength and resilience are just as important as crossing the finish line first:r - whether as a professional, junior or amateur runner:in.
"The Infinite Sprint" was penned by Berlin-based creative director Oliver DeVitre and directed by Stuttgart-based filmmaker Mischa Meyer, both of whom now live in Los Angeles. The campaign is a collaboration between On and Oliver DeVitre's transatlantic agency Gold for Cash Inc. and was produced by Berlin-based Akkurat Studios.
Responsible at On: Gessica Giulini (Sports Marketing Lead). Responsible at Gold For Cash Inc: Oliver DeVitre fka Frank (Creative Director), Mischa Meyer (Director), Louis Lustermann (DoP). Responsible at Akkurat Studios (production): Nian Tang (Producer), Sophie Werche (Production Assistant), Rocco Kopecny (Executive Producer), Rwdy Music (Music), Cabin (Edit House), Nathan Rodgers (Editor), Mikey Pehanich (Colorist), SLGH Hamburg (Postproduction / Online).
