adidas Japan runs a full Tokyo marathon with zero red lights — ADFEST 2018 Grande

Tokyo has 15,772 traffic signals — more than New York's 12,460 or London's 6,252 — which makes an uninterrupted city run nearly impossible. When adidas Japan opened Brand Core Store Harajuku, its first store focused on city running, it needed a launch that proved the category. TBWA\Hakuhodo's answer: build a marathon route through the city's timing instead of fighting it.

With cooperation from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the team analyzed the cycles and duration of red and green signals across the city, and used NAVITIME's mapping data to design a full 42.195km course through central Tokyo. A voice-guidance system told each runner the pace and routing needed to keep every light green.

On March 10, 2017, thirty runners selected from 180 applicants nationwide took their mark at midnight in Marunouchi and ran to the goal at the Harajuku store, passing 96 signals without stopping once. The rule was 'Get Stopped, Get Dropped': anyone held by a red light was out. The winner became the first customer of the new store.

A teaser film released in late February created instant buzz, and applications poured in; after the race the response spread globally. The event won the ADFEST 2018 Outdoor Grande Lotus, a Silver at AdStars 2017 and a Ciclope Silver — and adidas credited it with stronger store sales, a growing adidas Runners of Tokyo community and a lift in brand image among Tokyo runners.