On Sportswear

Dream On

Generative AI Spec Spot - by Mark Pedersen

THE ASSIGNMENT

On Sportswear was born in the Swiss Alps by a former elite Ironman and trail runner with a simple idea: create footwear that feels like running on clouds. Their mission is to ignite the human spirit through movement.

I’ve always admired the On brand, so I decide to create a spec spot using GenAI. My goal was simple: push current AI tools toward cinematic realism—testing their capabilities and limits while applying the language of filmmaking to an entirely new workflow.

SOLUTION

I chose what I knew would be a challenge: creating an AI film that captures the essence of the brand through the inner voice of a female trail runner on a morning run in the North Cascades mountains—using the brand’s call-to-action, “Dream On” as the narrative spine.

As an experienced backpacker, I wanted to capture the beauty and ruggedness of the alpine environment while grounding the story in the brand’s ethos. My goal was photorealism. And that’s where things got interesting.

What stood out immediately was how powerful these tools already were for creating mood, landscape, and atmosphere. Most of the more controlled moments came remarkably close to what I imagined, while some exceeded expectations.

Brand fidelity and fast-motion sequences, however, pushed current models to their limits—particularly in maintaining temporal consistency for high-speed running shots, facial coherence, and detailed brand elements in motion.

AI tools are evolving at an extraordinary pace, and most of the challenges I faced with this piece have been resolved by current models.

What this experience made clear is that AI generated video has become a new creative medium with its own strengths, limitations, language, and possibilities.

For the first time, we can visualize ideas without the physical constraints of production—locations, weather, time, logistics, or cost. Ideas that would have been impractical—or impossible—to produce can now be explored and brought to life quickly and inexpensively.

That fundamentally changes the nature of commercial storytelling.

In some cases, AI will replace traditional production. In others, it will extend it. And in many, the most interesting work will come from combining both.

At V-PIXL, we’re leaning into both—pushing AI-driven storytelling forward while continuing to create work rooted in traditional and virtual production.

Because the future isn’t one or the other.

It’s knowing how to use each medium to its full potential.