ASICS has launched a global campaign encouraging office workers to take 15-minute breaks to move, with the aim of improving mental health. The action is part of the #DeskBreak movement, which proposes that employees share photos of their empty desks on social media, using the campaign hashtag.
The campaign comes after a global study by the Japanese brand revealed that the mental state of office workers begins to decline after two straight hours of work. The study also points out that stress levels increase considerably after four continuous hours in front of the computer. A 15-minute break to move can help reverse these effects, according to the “Desk Break” experiment, carried out by ASICS.
To gain public attention, ASICS invited actor Brian Cox, famous for his role as the intimidating boss in the series “Succession”, to star in the campaign. In the play, Cox plays an authoritarian boss, a clear reference to the character Logan Roy from the series, highlighting the desk as a threat to employees’ mental health. In the video, he encourages workers to take a break and move around during work hours.
“I’ve played some pretty intimidating characters in my time, but who would have thought a desk could be any scarier?” says Cox of his role. “It’s great to see ASICS encouraging people to look after their mental health through exercise. As I say in the film, run, jump, rollerblade. It doesn’t matter. Just move into your mind.”
Tomoko Koda, executive director of marketing at ASICS, explains the purpose of the campaign: “We want people to prioritize their mental health and move their minds. We hope to encourage office workers to feel the mental benefits of taking that 15-minute break. We look forward to seeing images of the empty tables on World Mental Health Day.”
ASICS has also invested in studies on the relationship between physical activity and mental health. The “Desk Break Experiment” is the third carried out in 2024. In April, the brand released the “State of Mind”, a study that shows that physically active people tend to have higher mental well-being scores. Furthermore, another study, “Move Her Mind”, revealed the difficulties faced by women in maintaining physical activity and the positive impacts of exercise on female well-being.
The complete studies can be accessed on the ASICS website.
