ASICS and Golin's daring initiative for psychological well-being

ASICS and Golin's daring initiative for psychological well-being

ASICS Launches #DeskBreak Campaign to Boost Mental Health in the Workplace

ASICS, the global sports brand, has initiated the #DeskBreak campaign, aiming to tackle the issue of sedentary behavior in the workplace and promote mental wellbeing. The campaign, launched on World Mental Health Day, is an extension of ASICS' mission to encourage people to move for their mental health.

The campaign was inspired by ASICS' 2024 State of Mind study, which involved 26,000 participants globally and revealed a strong connection between sedentary behavior and mental wellbeing. The findings of the study informed the creative approach to the Desk Break campaign, which encourages workers worldwide to take daily movement breaks during the workday.

The Desk Break campaign features Brian Cox, known for his acting roles, who took on the role of the world's scariest boss in a mental health Public Service Announcement (PSA). The PSA, which has received positive responses, highlights the negative impacts of prolonged desk work on mental health.

ASICS is leading by example by encouraging its own staff to take daily movement breaks. The brand has even changed its employment contracts to give its staff the right to exercise for their mind daily. The Desk Break clause provides a framework for workers to implement legal movement breaks in their workplaces.

The campaign aims to challenge the corporate working culture to take employee mental wellbeing seriously. Brian Cox agreed to participate in the campaign because of its important message and the impact his voice could have.

The Desk Break experiment found that offering employees a daily 15-minute movement break improves productivity, focus, and stress levels. Almost 80% of participants said they would be more loyal to their job if offered regular movement breaks.

The campaign has been successful in promoting mental health awareness among office workers, raising public consciousness about the negative impacts of prolonged sitting and sedentary behavior on psychological health. The campaign's creative touches in the film and relatable social media content have driven significant participation and conversation around office wellbeing.

The success of the campaign is reflected in widespread social media engagement, including over 43,000 likes and 700 comments, reaching approximately 375,000 people with a participation rate of 3.52%[3]. Additionally, the campaign won a silver award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, reflecting its creative and impactful approach to addressing mental health through physical activity breaks[1][4].

ASICS champions mental health through movement and has long-term partnerships with mental health charities like Mind and Mind US. The brand is offering the Desk Break clause to other businesses verbatim to make it easy for them to make this positive change.

In conclusion, the ASICS #DeskBreak campaign promotes better mental health outcomes by encouraging office workers to integrate physical activity into their workday, reducing stress and fatigue associated with sedentary desk work and fostering improved psychological safety and wellbeing in the workplace[3][1].

1. The #DeskBreak campaign by ASICS seeks to combat the issue of poor mental health in the workplace by encouraging regular movement breaks, reveling findings from their global 2024 State of Mind study.
2. The campaign is also an extension of ASICS' mission to foster mental wellbeing, an initiative that has extended beyond their brand to their employees, who now have the legal right to daily exercise in their work contracts.
3. The creative approach of the Desk Break campaign includes a mental health PSA featuring Brian Cox, who took on the role of the world's scariest boss, highlighting the negative impacts of prolonged desk work on mental health.
4. The Desk Break experiment found that offering employees a daily 15-minute movement break can improve productivity, focus, and stress levels, with 80% of participants expressing increased loyalty to their jobs.
5. Additionally, the Desk Break campaign has achieved significant success, earning a silver award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and reaching nearly 400,000 people on social media, prompting important conversations around office wellness and mental health.
6. ASICS continues to advocate for mental health through long-term partnerships with mental health charities like Mind and Mind US, offering the Desk Break clause to other businesses to encourage integrated physical activity and improved mental health in the workplace.

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