How Triathlon Legends Became Fearsome Vikings for Sports Brand On

Jumping off a cliff back into the tri-discipline race ready to take on new mysterious gods, sea serpents and sirens, an echo is heard before the screen cuts off to black: “To Paris!”, symbolising On’s continued commitment to the Olympic dream. 

Gessica> Our campaign's mission was to transform triathlon, a niche sport, into a captivating and enthralling subject for a broader audience, granting it greater accessibility and heightened visibility. This pushed our decision to approach this endeavour from an innovative perspective, delving deeper into the athlete’s origins and their audacious personas. Our aim was to unearth that one-of-a-kind and remarkable angle, culminating in a piece of content with the capacity to captivate even those who don’t yet have a passion for the world of triathlon. The outstanding portfolio and previous works done by Passion, and the meticulousness of each of its team collaborators brought us to the final decision that it was the best partner able to envision Gustav and Kristian in the most exciting guise of vikings - and so it was!

LBB> Yibi, What was the brief like for you and what were the initial conversations you had with On surrounding it?

Yibi> The brief was to create a film around the concept of ‘Trikings’, a combination of the triathlon and Gustav and Kristian’s Norwegian heritage. Initial conversations revolved around how we could create a thrilling action - based narrative that brought in viking iconography and mythological references. This is when we began discussions with On about the idea of the natural world, and the forces working against the athletes manifesting as gods and creatures from Norse mythology.

Gessica> We chose to collaborate with Gustav and Kristian for several reasons. Foremost, we aimed to honour these exceptional athletes, and through this piece of content we aimed to demonstrate our deep trust and support towards those athletes. As the credits roll on this cinematic journey, our intention echoes the phrase "to Paris," symbolising our shared commitment towards the Olympic dream.

Furthermore, what drove us to approach this project from such a captivating and delightful angle was the magnetic charm of their personalities. Gustav and Kristian embody qualities that are nothing short of extraordinary – they are remarkable, entertaining, astute, impassioned, and deeply respectful athletes. It's these very attributes that ignited Passion's creative vision, allowing us to conceive striking animated portrayals of their personas. Their unique and strong personalities not only made the project enjoyable but also formed the foundation for creating these exceptional animated characters.

Yibi> As we began the process of collecting references, we took inspiration from Jeffery Alan Love’s illustrations in ‘Norse Tales’, by Kevin Crossley-Holland, and we were interested in the silhouetted figures of the gods, which added to their mystery and intrigue. This contributed with the colour-blocking approach on the gods, where little to no detail is seen on the face, and motion capture technology is used to give them slower, more deliberate movement. 

For costuming we looked at historical and fictional viking references, leaning towards the fantastical sword-and-sorcery Hollywood approach more than historical accuracy. This lent itself better to the action-packed, superhero-like narrative. Overall we feel like we achieved what we sought to do; perhaps we would have liked more shots of Sol and Mani and their chariots (which were a labour of love), but that would have been entirely self indulgent on our part as animators!

Yibi> For us, starting the race in a fjord seemed obvious, as those of us who have had the privilege of visiting Norway remember how utterly breathtaking the scenery is. The sound of glacial cracking and the waters crashing against the rocks really helped us understand how these powerful natural sounds could be attributed to some divine force. Beginning with live action allowed the inclusion of this spectacular environment, and to root the narrative in the athlete’s connection to their homeland, before taking a fantastical turn into the realm of gods and monsters.

Gessica> We have a track record of achieving remarkable outcomes when launching animated films, as exemplified by ‘Black Ice’, an award-winning, branded content short unveiled in 2022. The decision to incorporate animation offers a multitude of possibilities. Sometimes, it's a clever solution when direct access to athletes is limited, or when visualising events from an athlete's past proves challenging. However, in this particular case, neither of these factors applied. Our primary goal was to inject a breath of fresh air and a highly captivating narrative approach. When we conceived the viking concept, it became apparent that achieving such awe-inspiring results through real-life footage would be exceedingly difficult; only animation had the potential to deliver that ‘wow’ factor.

Yibi> When designing the athletes, we really tried to stay as true to the two men as possible -  On was particular about ensuring likeness so you could recognise which figure was which throughout the film, regardless of costume.  We used lots of reference photos and films from past races, and collaborated with On to ensure that we not only captured their likeness in the still image, but also accurately depicted their movements, facial expressions, and how they hold themselves when they run. It was an enjoyable process and a great exercise (pun intended) in depicting two athletes at the top of their game.

Gessica> Our aspiration is that viewers not only engage with the content, but also find it enjoyable, forging a deeper connection with the world of triathlon and drawing inspiration from two world-class athletes.