Part of a new global multimedia campaign, these posters "suggest that maybe we've been too hard on ourselves all these years, pushing our bodies to the limit," says McGarryBowen AD/designer Matt Even. "And to what end? What are we busting our asses for? Maybe we should just take it easy and enjoy the ride." Enjoy the ride? Hell, maybe we should stop running altogether and just drive a Nissan. Is Reebok ceding the hardcore runners' market to its competitors and its sister company Adidas? Not exactly, though ECD Warren Eakins notes that hardcore runners are but a small part of the market, and he believes "they're not likely to be negatively influenced by this campaign. Reebok continues to make top-flight running shoes that are marketed vertically through running magazines and online," he says.

For the rest of the world, however, "the image of the running fanatic has put a lot of people off running," claims Eakins. "This campaign wants to remind runners to enjoy the sport at a pace that's right for them ? a comfortable pace that Reebok calls 'Running at the speed of chat.' It's all relative, depending on your level. There's some evidence that suggests an easier run is better for us than a hard run. According to Runner's World Magazine, if you?re running too fast to talk, then you?re not in your optimum fat-burning zone." Speaking of fat burning, there's also an all-type transit series of "Run Easy" ads, one of which features the pointed line, "What are you just doing?"