StrawberryFrog Amsterdam, the award-winning international advertising agency, has created a giant ‘city in a sneaker’ sculpture called the Electric Light Shoe, which is the dramatic centerpiece for Onitsuka Tiger’s integrated global brand campaign for 2008. Ontisuka Tiger is ASICS’ premium heritage range.
The campaign was inspired by the Tokyo cityscape, which is visually stunning and energetic – perfect for Ontisuka Tiger. StrawberryFrog was looking for an idea rather than an individual ad campaign, something that would draw people in and excite them across all media touch points. The sculpture has inspired numerous executions from classic print and outdoor, to viral film and retail – and even drove the design of new product.
The ‘Electric Tiger Land’ campaign launches globally later this month with a particular focus on Europe, Far East, Australia and the USA. It builds on StrawberryFrog’s ‘Made of Japan’ strategy that last year featured a campaign built around a sneaker made up of Japanese ephemera.
The ‘Electric Light Shoe’ is a one-meter long sculpture based on an Onitsuka Tiger sneaker shape and pays homage to the city of Tokyo in miniature. The sculpture is a tribute to Tokyo’s vibrant city lights, and takes much of its inspiration from the underground cult of Deko Tora (decorated trucks).
The sculpture is incredibly intricate and filled with sweeping miniature highways packed with minute Toyotas, and high-rise buildings that form Tokyo’s urban skyline. Planes queue-up on a replica Tokyo Narita Airport runway where the sneaker’s tongue should be, there are Japanese market signs in the toe, a vending machine selling miniature Onitsuka Tigers in the heel, and a neon metro train hurtles throughout the shoe.
Many of the Electric Light Shoe’s features are individually lit by one of 300 LED lights and flexible neon rope. There’s also a hidden iPod dock which plays ambient sounds through camouflaged speakers.
As well as the one-meter sneaker used to create the advertising campaign, StrawberryFrog has produced an additional seven 70cm-long sculptures (two for Germany, one each for France, UK, Korea, Australia, and Japan) as well as 15 40cm-long versions to be displayed in stores worldwide.
More pics after the jump.
