• by Larissa Faw , January 13, 2016

Extreme fitness company Tough Mudder is starting the New Year with a new AOR—Rokkan—and a  global advertising campaign.

The "We Are Tough Mudder" digital initiative is designed to connect participants both online and offline by reminding them that fearlessness and adventure are innate attitudes.

The creative introduces the #ItsAllBeenTraining hashtag and a series of short videos that reflect back on childhood, when "being outside and muddy together with friends was everything needed to conquer the world," the agency stated.

This playtime motif is a nod to Tough Mudder's obstacle course format where each event features challenges ranging from mud pits to electric shocks over a 10-12 mile course. 

"Now more than ever as we’re immersed in technology, people are feeling a need for more real experiences and challenges," says Sean Miller, chief strategy officer, Rokkann. "Yet they may be intimidated by events like Tough Mudder. The TM brand has always been more about community than competition. Our strategy was to show how overcoming fear is elemental and timeless, and a lot of fun to do with friends."

The campaign is designed to raise awareness among existing and new Mudders alike; Tough Mudder wants to grow the participant base as it expands internationally. To that end, the campaign runs in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and Germany. Additional phases will launch throughout the year.

"The spots are not tailored to each region," says Brian Carley, chief creative officer, Rokkan. "Instead, we took into account universal truths of children from around the world, not just U.S. Through consulting with our worldwide partners, we were able to verify that kids are kids, everywhere." 

The spots will be used across social media channels, Facebook, Twitter and on YouTube with a TrueView media buy.

"There’s a real opportunity to lean into the community and fun of this challenge that can often be overlooked by people," says Carley. "There are great parallels between the thrilling risks and awe-inspiring obstacles we took on as young kids, and the feeling you get when participating in a Tough Mudder. This campaign aims to bring that to light.”