Tri-Kings - On | Clapboard Ad Archive

On’s Tri-Kings campaign, created in partnership with Passion Pictures, propels the sportswear brand’s identity into a new realm by transforming triathlon’s most recognizable champions, Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, into manga-styled Viking legends in a 2023 animated film that fully embraces high drama and youth culture. In a move that stands apart from the category’s science-forward storytelling, On and the agency reconstruct triathletes—often portrayed in the context of relentless training routines and data-driven regimens—as larger-than-life Norse warriors, fighting mythological adversaries and navigating fantasy obstacles in pursuit of Olympic-shaped glory. Drawing inspiration from the kinetic aesthetics of 1990s superhero cartoons and Eastern manga, the short film trades literal product demonstration for an imaginative, emotionally charged allegory about unlocking personal power, with the two athletes reincarnated as Kristian the Unstoppable and Gustav the Great within a richly illustrated world of sea serpents, siren songs, enchanted forests, and the ever-watchful gaze of Norse gods. The narrative’s engine is the search for the internal flame—a direct reflection of the brand’s ethos—which is made visually and narratively accessible to younger, digitally native fans who crave stories as much as sport. This fresh take not only sidesteps the staleness often associated with performance content but intentionally broadens triathlon’s public image, merging elite athleticism with high-concept pop culture references. Technically, the marriage of 2D animation with advanced 3D motion capture pushes both the agency’s and the brand’s creative boundaries, enlisting visual innovation to build hype for the much-anticipated Paris 2024 Olympic stage. With over 668,000 views, the campaign demonstrates material engagement beyond core triathlon audiences, smartly leveraging hero-driven mythology to foster both rivalry and camaraderie between the athletes—mirroring their real-life partnership—while stoking anticipation for their next showdown. In the context of Clapboard’s taxonomy, Tri-Kings sits squarely within FORMAT#12—Parody or Borrowed Format—by reimagining genuine sports figures through the borrowed lens of comic book and anime heroics, signaling a willingness from On and Passion Pictures to subvert convention and appeal to a broader demographic through genre-bending narrative craft. Clapboard rates this 76/100. At a time when sportswear brands are seeking cultural relevance beyond performance jargon, Tri-Kings signals how animation and myth can bridge the gap between elite sport and universal storytelling for dynamic brand impact.