Asics today launches its biggest-ever global campaign with an epic spot shot on location in New Zealand, featuring crowds of runners summoned via a hunting horn to run together in a stunning landscape. Created by 180 Amsterdam, it features a cast of 150 real-life runners (amplified by CGI crowd-replication technology from MPC to look like a cast of thousands) and the tagline is "It's a big world. Go run it."

The scenery features locations used in the "Lord of the Rings" films as well as new ones including an ice lake in a mountain crater, while the runners include six Asics-sponsored professional athletes from various running disciplines: triathlete Gwen Jorgensen, hurdler and sprinter Queen Harrison, 800m runner Ryan Martin, training and fitness athlete Rosario Rios-Aguilar and trail runners Sissi Cussot and Genis Zapater .

Al Moseley, president and chief creative officer at 180 Amsterdam, told Creativity: "It was very important to us that everyone featured in the ad was a real runner. There are no actors whatsoever. We had seven featured runners -- all street-cast real runners who live in New Zealand, each with their own unique passion for a variety of types of running. For example, Chris, the runner who blows the horn and reaches the top first, is a trail runner and triathlete. He even ran to the audition after a race."

Eva Sutter, global advertising manager at Asics, confirmed the ad is the brand's biggest-ever global campaign. It breaks on TV in Australia today and in Japan this weekend during the Tokyo Marathon. The U.S. and Europe will follow. The film will also be shown at marathon events including Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, New York and Los Angeles.

"The film shows that we are more ambitious, more inspirational and more adventurous than ever before," said Sutter. "Even on set, it was fantastic to see how much our athletes were inspired by the environment they were in."