ASICS and Golin take a daring step forward in promoting mental wellness
ASICS, the renowned brand advocating for the power of movement on the body and mind, has launched a groundbreaking campaign to address the cultural issue of sedentary behavior in the workplace that affects mental wellbeing. The campaign, called the #DeskBreak movement, encourages workers to take daily movement breaks during the workday.
The Desk Break campaign, launched on World Mental Health Day, was inspired by ASICS' 2024 State of Mind study, involving 26,000 participants globally. The study found that after two hours of continuous desk work, State of Mind scores drop and stress levels rise. The creative direction and messaging of the campaign were shaped by these scientific insights.
One of the key figures in the campaign is Brian Cox, the actor known for his role in Succession. Cox agreed to participate in the campaign and was excited to get behind the message. He was cast as the "world's scariest boss" to deliver a powerful message about the hidden perils of desk work. Cox's involvement brought a striking and memorable presence to the campaign, helping it gain viral attention and effectively starting conversations about workplace policy change regarding mental health and movement breaks.
The Desk Break clause is an example of ASICS' commitment to addressing mental health issues head-on and changing the norm. ASICS has changed its own employment contracts to give its staff the right to exercise for their mind daily and is offering this to other businesses. The Desk Break experiment found that office workers' productivity, focus, and stress levels improved after just one week of taking a desk break. Almost 80% of participants said they would be more loyal to their job if offered regular movement breaks.
The campaign aims to challenge the corporate working culture to take employee mental wellbeing seriously. ASICS is set on tackling the barriers that stand in the way of people moving for the mind and democratizing exercise. The brand, which champions mental health through movement and has long-term partnerships with mental health charities like Mind and Mind US, hopes that other businesses will follow suit.
The Desk Break campaign has already made a significant impact, winning a silver award at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The campaign's creative approach was influenced by ASICS' and Golin's collaboration in 2022 for the 'Dramatic Transformation' project.
In conclusion, the #DeskBreak movement is a call to action for businesses to prioritize their employees' mental health and productivity. By taking regular movement breaks, office workers can boost their mood by over 20% and improve their focus, productivity, and overall wellbeing. Let's all join the movement and move for our minds!
- ASICS, with its focus on the benefits of movement for both the body and mind, launched the #DeskBreak movement, a campaign aiming to combat sedentary behavior in workplaces that negatively affects mental wellbeing.
- The inspiration for the Desk Break campaign stemmed from ASICS' 2024 State of Mind study, a global research involving 26,000 participants, which revealed that after two hours of continuous desk work, mental wellbeing scores drop and stress levels rise.
- The campaign, unveiled on World Mental Health Day, features actor Brian Cox, who agreed to participate and adopted the role of the "world's scariest boss" to deliver a powerful message about the consequences of desk work.
- ASICS' commitment to addressing mental health issues is evidenced by the introduction of the Desk Break clause in its employment contracts, giving staff the right to exercise for mental health daily, and offering this to other businesses.
- The Desk Break experiment demonstrated that productivity, focus, and stress levels of office workers improved after just one week of taking daily movement breaks, with nearly 80% of participants expressing increased loyalty to their jobs due to such offering.
- ASICS hopes to challenge corporate working culture by promoting the importance of mental health and advocating for regular movement breaks, and aims to democratize exercise while addressing the barriers preventing people from moving for their mental health.
