Hello, Sizzer.
Thought I’d do something a little different here…
This is my [re]-production of an existing On Running ad. Music selected, cut, mixed and sound designed by me.
[ full portfolio linked at the end ]
The brand operates on the principle of "function as form". Their target audience are “cultural runners”. Individualist, design-conscious, gravitating towards curated and underground scenes.
While On’s baseline brand is Swiss minimalism, the Cloudmonster collection is their maximalist rebel. It is intentionally bolder, chunkier, and slightly ‘freakish’ compared to its sleek counterparts.
The Cloudmonster is about unapologetic energy, and the joy of a bizarrely bouncy ride. It appeals to a younger, more streetwear-adjacent demographic.
My pick for this is: Joy Orbison’s 2025 single ‘Play It Again’.
Joy Orbison carries untouchable weight in the UK underground and global electronic scene. Placing his music over this campaign signals to the consumer that On Running champions authentic subcultures.
The surgically-cut vocal samples render the sync aesthetically futuristic, while remaining grounded in human experience. Intricate drum productions, heavy sub rollers, emotionally charged synth pads carry this futurism through the running landscapes.
Emotionally, the track demonstrates the solace you find in running. As a runner myself, I know that running doesn’t get better. You just get better. And faster. You do it because of the flow state that it puts you in and the high you get after it. “The more energy you put in, the more energy you get” exemplifies this.
Yet, ‘Play It Again’ is never cluttered. Like the shoe, every sonic element in the track is built for physical utility, specifically, to dictate human movement on a dancefloor.
Much like a lot of underground club music, the track prioritises function as form. There is no wasted audio.
Why this works:
The parallel between Joy O’s newfound club maximalism and On’s positioning of the Cloudmonster feels like a perfect match without the traditional features of a sports performance campaign.
The sync does not yell at you to run faster, nor does it tell you that the shoe will make you run faster.
It invites you into the culturally credible and highly visceral flow state of a runner, perfectly aligning with On's community-first and cutting edge brand identity.
