Why Hit the Wall? It Hurts. Reebok Encourages Consumers to Join the Global "Run Easy" Movement and Simply Enjoy the Ride...

Groundbreaking Campaign Debuts in April Featuring Celebrities around the World Demonstrating the Ease of "Running at the Speed of Chat"

CANTON, Mass. -- Running... what's gone wrong? Over the years, running has been associated with a "no pain, no gain" theory. According to a recent survey orchestrated by GfK Custom Research, a staggering 87% of Americans have been put off the sport of running for a variety of reasons including the fear that they need to be competitive in order to participate*. In opposition to this philosophy, Reebok asks consumers, "What are you just doing?" in its innovative global movement "Run Easy."

The multi-faceted movement kicks off this week. Featuring celebrities from around the world showing how they "Run Easy," including basketball legend Allen Iverson, soccer standout Thierry Henry, track and field stars Carolina Kluft and Aries Merritt, football icons Vince Young, Chad Johnson and DeAngelo Hall, tennis phenom Nicole Vaidisova, acclaimed actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, cricket stars Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni and street skateboarder Stevie Williams, the campaign drives home the message that running should be about enjoying the ride.

"It's about time to make a bold stance and bring the fun back into running and invite consumers of all levels of athletic ability to participate," said Uli Becker, Reebok chief marketing officer. "Through our 'Run Easy' movement, Reebok is defying the way competitor brands position running as a 'push-the-limits' ideal."

Running is a sport with the greatest opportunity for growth, as the largest global category in the footwear industry at roughly nine billion dollars. The concept of "Run Easy" was created to provide today's consumers with a much-needed alternative to hitting the proverbial wall while running. According to the GfK Custom Research study, 75% of Americans polled associate feeling some form of pain, discomfort or injury with running.

"Meeting up with friends to run easy and chat together the whole way makes running something I look forward to doing," said Nicole Vaidisova, the youngest tennis player currently ranked in the top ten. "When you run easy, running becomes a more relaxing and enjoyable activity," echoed Carolina Kluft, the number one ranked female heptathlete in the world.

"Why hit that wall if it hurts? Just run easy," said basketball legend Allen Iverson. "When I run easy it gives me a chance to take in the sights around me, which makes running a lot more fun," noted football icon DeAngelo Hall.

Reebok's "Run Easy" movement kicks off with an aggressive media campaign on April 2nd featuring advertising created by New York agency, mcgarry bowen. Television spots, directed by acclaimed award-winning director, Frank Budgen, will begin airing on TV on April 30th.

The first phase of the "Run Easy" movement will feature several attention grabbing Out of Home executions including edgy messages such as "Run + Puke + Run = Crazy" and "Why Hit the Wall? It Hurts" as well as digital advertising on high profile websites worldwide. The Out of Home executions will be located in high-traffic areas in key global cities. Simultaneously, eye level media will also be used to spread the Run Easy philosophy and encourage consumers to use text messaging or SMS to join the movement. Following the Out of Home executions will be the first "Run Easy" television spot starring Reebok's talented roster of global athletes.

Reebok's Run Easy television spot celebrates the joy of social running "at the speed of chat." Each celebrity depicted in the campaign participates in a non-linear conversation seamlessly intertwined to create one fun story. Demonstrating that consumers can "Run Easy" anywhere around the world, the campaign was shot on beaches, city streets and parks in some of the world's top cities including London and Los Angeles.

Bringing the "Run Easy" movement to the masses in a meaningful way that especially resonates with young consumers, Reebok created the website GoRunEasy.com. Co-developed by Watertown agency Molecular and Carat Fusion in Boston, GoRunEasy.com launches on April 2nd and is the most comprehensive website Reebok has ever created. Featuring a first-of-its-kind "mashup" between Reebok, Google maps and Flickr, GoRunEasy.com allows the consumer to map out and share their favorite running routes and also post scenery snapshots of the coolest sights to take in while on the run. In addition, GoRunEasy.com features a community where consumers can upload music playlists, join discussion groups with other runners and watch some of today's hottest celebrities demonstrating the art of "running at the speed of chat."

To further bring the "Run Easy" movement to life, Reebok will sponsor new running events that celebrate the joy and fun of running such as "Bay to Breakers 12K" in San Francisco, CA on May 20th, and the "Peachtree 10K Road Race" in Atlanta, GA on July 4th.

Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of sports, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, the company operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. For more information, visit Reebok at www.rbk.com.

* Omnitel is a national telephone omnibus service of GfK Custom Research North America. Over 1,000 interviews were conducted. Results were weighed in order to be nationally represented.

* Sources: NPD, SGI, Footwear Intelligence, BCG