On Running tames giants in its new docu-ad

To excuse the seemingly unavoidable pun, the breathtaking footage and inspirational story of Katie and Germain, a pair of ultra athletes and trail runners who scale one of the highest mountain ranges in the world, is truly elevated by gloriously rendered 1920's-style illustrations in this interesting spot.

Created for On Running, Taming Giants, a mixed media piece that melds shots from Mountains Legacy with animation from Studio AKA's Manddy Wyckens, showcases the real-life couple as they spend an extreme 42 hours in the Alps to finish an epic journey over 188 kilometers, accumulating approximately 14000 meters of elevation over two summits of more than 4000m in height.

Watching over them both figuratively and, in the case of the animated sections, literally, are the 'giants' of the title - the imposing mountains that watch over those who dare to enter their kingdom with challenging eyes, dropping their guard and becoming friends as the couple prove their expertise, determination and reverence.

“We took a live-action mountaineering challenge and reinterpreted it by adding magical elements to translate the danger, hardships, and the immense forces of nature at play,” says Wyckens. “To do so, we created a very minimal design, a palette in shades of blue and an immense landscape to immerse the viewer within the mountain’s atmosphere.”