In this advertisement that I read in a magazine I came across the shoe company Asics. They are advertising a new top of the line trainer’s shoe called the GEL-Kayano XII. This shoe is designed for runners and those who like to run. The description of this advertisement is simple. It’s a man who just finished a run quoting “I’ll keep running because it educates me. Before my first 5K I wasn’t even sure how long a “K” was. I was very glad to hear it’s shorter than a mile.” Obviously a 5K is longer than a mile, but what Asics is trying to say here is that their new shoe will make you think that a 5K is shorter than a mile because they claim the shoe is so good that you’ll knock off minutes of your personal best time. Asics claims that the new shoe will make you run and perform much better than any other shoe currently out on the market.

This advertisement is effective because runners are always looking for a better shoe and Asics is attempting to do the job. Hardcore runners run through shoes every several months and some never change the pair they have, but others like to try out other brands to find the one that feels best. A weakness with the GEL-Kayano XII includes the target audience that its only for runners. Asics needs to expand the product advertising by saying that you can walk around the world in these shoes and still have energy left over for another round. Why not include walkers in the advertisement? Students who walk to classes everyday need a quality shoe and if Asics says it’ll knock minutes of your run then the shoe should be able to knock minutes of your walk to class.

Assuming Asics had a large market budget they could easily produce a million shoes and wouldn’t worry about having the new shoe being tested. This will help to prevent problems in case the new shoe is defective or may not have that comfortable feel on your feet. Runners and walkers feet come in all shapes and sizes and Asics would need to address each and every individual sizes. A potential promotional activity to help this cause is to have a representative present at Track and Cross Country meets. They could allow athletes or anyone to take the new GEL-Kayano XII for a test run. This is also a good way for them to get the feedback they need to correct any mistakes that may be present. I personally like this advertisement because I can relate because I’m a runner. I’m always trying to find the “perfect” training shoe.

By Adrian Ludwig