ASICS GEL-RESOLUTION powers the perfect padel match
What began as 'the summer of padel' has quickly evolved into a lifestyle movement embraced by many. Recognising this cultural shift, ASICS views padel as more than just a sport – it embodies the brand's core philosophy of movement, connection, and well-being.
To celebrate the sport's vibrant, community-driven spirit, ASICS and Apparel Group partnered with Matcha Club to transform its courts into an activation space, where padel and performance came together as the perfect match.
Tailored for the region, the campaign tapped into Dubai's rapidly growing padel scene and its fitness-savvy community. Set within a natural and refined environment, the court delivered an experience that felt both elevated and authentic. It also served as a launch platform for the GEL-RESOLUTION X PADEL shoes, reinforcing ASICS' commitment to performance, innovation, and supporting athletes with specialised footwear.
The activation was brought to life through a collaborative effort between ASICS, Apparel Group's marketing teams, and creative agency Humanagement.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ASICS Middle East (@asicsme)
Game, set, style
The creative vision behind the campaign was inspired by ASICS' and Apparel Group core philosophy – 'Sound Mind, Sound Body'.
Scarlet Ghannoum, Marketing Manager GCC ASICS & ACO at Apparel Group, said, 'We wanted to create an immersive experience that reflected the energy of the game and the lifestyle of the Padel community. The key brand message was to position ASICS as a leader in the padel space, offering both high-performance products and community-driven experiences.'
The campaign aimed to achieve several strategic key goals, with a primary focus on promoting the GEL-RESOLUTION X PADEL shoes.
'By giving players the opportunity to experience the shoes in action, we highlighted their performance, comfort, and innovation. In addition to product promotion, the campaign also wanted to increase brand awareness by positioning ASICS as a leading brand in the growing padel community,' explained Ghannoum.
She added, 'We aimed to build customer loyalty by creating an engaging, community-driven event at Matcha Club while also generating content for digital platforms, collecting product feedback, and strengthening relationships with local influencers and athletes.'
Ghannoum adds that the primary target audience included both committed padel players and newcomers interested in the sport. The goal was to energise the existing community while making padel approachable for those looking to get involved.
Serving up community
To maximise local relevance and reach, ASICs invited professional Padel coaches and popular UAE-based influencers from the sports and lifestyle space and opened the space to community members to help amplify the campaign across social media.
'The activation truly resonated with the audience by offering a hands-on, engaging experience that blended sport, lifestyle, and community. Professional padel coaches led energetic sessions that brought the sport to life in a fun, approachable way for all levels,' says Ghannoum. 'The event aimed to reflect Dubai's appetite for high-energy, exclusive experiences and positioned ASICS as both performance-driven and culturally in tune with the region.'
She adds, 'They played in ASICS PADEL shoes, experiencing the product's performance in action. Good energy, good food, and great music came together to create a vibrant atmosphere that perfectly complemented the audience's love for sport and wellness.'
The presence of UAE-based influencers boosted reach, while the content-friendly setup encouraged organic social sharing across social platforms, helping extend the impact beyond the event.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast)
The perfect match with ASICS and Apparel Group
The influencer selection was a strategic process designed to align with ASICS' Apparel Group's brand values, campaign goals, and target audience. The team focused on individuals who genuinely reflect the brand's commitment to performance, innovation and a healthy lifestyle.
Priority was given to influencers active in the sports, fitness, and padel communities, with a particular emphasis on athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts who hold credibility within the padel scene, ensuring authentic engagement and meaningful impact.
Influencers and attendees had the opportunity to trial a wide range of ASICS padel shoes and full head-to-toe looks. They were encouraged to create content around the GEL-RESOLUTION X PADEL shoes, showcasing the footwear in action.
With live coverage across TikTok and Instagram during the event, and continued content shared afterward, the campaign generated strong traction across social platforms.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
24 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
AI-powered cyber security for the region is a must for smooth digital transformation
The Middle East is undergoing one of the most ambitious digital transformations the world has seen. National strategies such as Saudi Vision 2030, the UAE's Digital Economy Strategy, and Qatar's Smart Nation framework are setting bold targets for a connected, intelligent future. These plans are already reshaping key sectors including energy, transport, healthcare, and manufacturing. Technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT are central to this shift, but their rapid adoption is bringing a critical challenge to the surface. With every new layer of connectivity comes a growing cybersecurity risk. The region now finds itself at a decisive moment: how can it scale digital innovation while ensuring the security and resilience of the networks that support it? Hyperconnectivity brings new levels of risk By the end of the decade, over one billion IoT devices are expected to be deployed across the GCC. While this will unlock new efficiencies and services, it will also multiply the points of vulnerability. Already, 15% of organisations in the region have experienced data breaches costing over $100,000. The threat landscape itself is evolving. Cybercriminals are using AI to generate new malware, automate large-scale attacks, and even create convincing deepfake phishing campaigns. These tactics can easily bypass legacy security systems. Despite this, the region is demonstrating encouraging levels of cloud readiness. Only 24% of regional businesses feel unprepared for cloud-related threats, compared to 34% globally. This reflects a growing understanding of the importance of building resilience into cloud-native systems. But as risks evolve, so must the defenses. Predictive threat detection and real-time response will be key to navigating what comes next. Intelligent networks and cyber resilience To secure the future, Middle Eastern enterprises must embrace networks capable of defending themselves. This means embedding intelligence, automation, and continuous verification directly into the fabric of network infrastructure. AI is already proving its value in 5G security. A strong example is the generative AI assistant within NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome, built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI GPT, which demonstrates how large language models can enhance threat detection and accelerate informed decision-making during cyber incidents. Yet identifying threats is only the first step. True cyber resilience demands more. It requires a shift to Zero Trust models, where every user, device, and application interaction is continuously authenticated to eliminate assumptions of trust. It also calls for automated incident response systems that can take decisive action in real time, dramatically reducing human error and accelerating resolution. Just as importantly, networks must harness real-time analytics to detect and mitigate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. These intelligent capabilities are no longer theoretical, they are being deployed across the region today. With the right tools in place, telecom operators and enterprises are beginning to move from reactive defense to proactive protection, where threats are anticipated and neutralized before they cause harm. A commitment to secure transformation Governments across the GCC are taking serious steps to strengthen national cybersecurity posture. The UAE's Cybersecurity Strategy is embedding AI into the country's digital infrastructure. Saudi Arabia's National Cybersecurity Authority is developing frameworks for critical infrastructure protection. Qatar is fostering collaboration between public and private sectors to strengthen cloud resilience. Together, these efforts signal that the region is ready not just to adapt to cyber threats, but to lead in shaping global standards. To do so, the next phase of investment must focus on scalable cloud-native security, AI-powered threat detection, and unified threat response platforms. Building a secure hyperconnected future As digital transformation accelerates, Nokia continues to support the region's cybersecurity goals through innovations that are specifically designed for telecom and enterprise environments. Our AI-driven threat detection platforms are significantly reducing the time it takes to identify and neutralise threats. Advanced solutions such as NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome use generative AI to proactively hunt threats, while our endpoint detection tools monitor the telecom infrastructure in real time. Our collaboration with hyperscalers and cloud providers, such as Microsoft, is enabling integrated, real-time threat visibility across multi-cloud and telecom ecosystems. Trust through autonomous security The Middle East's digital ambitions are bold and achievable, but they rest on a single foundational requirement: trust. As digital economies depend on interconnected networks, intelligent, autonomous security is not a luxury. It is essential. At Nokia, security forms the foundation of our Sense, Think, and Act framework. Built into every network layer, from physical infrastructure to cloud-based applications, our solutions shift from reactive defense to proactive protection. Advanced threat detection, robust encryption, and rigorous authentication at each network layer enable secure, autonomous operations. By embedding AI-driven resilience directly into networks, communication service providers can move towards proactive, self-healing systems that are secure by design. For the GCC, this presents an opportunity to lead the way in establishing secure, scalable, and sustainable digital infrastructure.
Gulf Business
31 minutes ago
- Gulf Business
Human Garage's Garry Lineham on stress and the science of 'unwinding'
Image: Supplied In a world where stress often feels like a constant companion and true wellbeing seems elusive, meet Garry Lineham, co-founder and head of H Aaron Illathu — on behalf of Gulf Business — spoke to Lineham during his recent trip to Dubai, where he shared insights into Human Garage's philosophy, the science behind their signature 'unwinding' process, and how alignment isn't just physical — it's emotional, chemical, and spiritual too. Through Human Garage, Lineham said he and his team aim to restore humanity's natural flow, one body at a time. Here are some excerpts from the discussion. How did the Human Garage concept and 'fascial maneuvers' originate, particularly in response to your personal health journey? It started from a place of performance, particularly when my body got 'into trouble'. After 20 years of pain, I went into clinical practice and managed to get myself out of pain, but it required three to five treatments a week. When Covid-19 hit, my pain flared up again. I started doing these maneuvers, and at first, it was just about relieving my own pain and being able to do it myself. As I went through a process of unwinding and unraveling trauma and stress, I found the maneuvers consistently reduced my overall stress. I had more space, more desire to laugh, and even experienced emotional breakthroughs. I initially thought I was just fixing mechanical issues, but I soon realised the primary target was stress. This also sowed the seeds for the inception of Human Garage, which I co-founded with Cynthia Leavoy, Jason Van Blerk and Aisha Rodrique . You mentioned fascial manoeuvers significantly reduce biological stress. Can you elaborate on the impact and the scientific backing for this? Fascial maneuvers reduce 75 to 90 percent of biological stress in the body within the first 7-10 minutes. We've conducted a couple of hundred anecdotal tests, and doctors worldwide have tested it, though official peer review is still pending. The reality is, if you can remove 75 per cent of your stress twice a day, your baseline stress index drops. This increases your capacity to perform, combat issues like hormonal imbalances, improves sleep, and generally enhances measurements of lifestyle. Taking stress out became the core focus. Human Garage uses social media to engage people. How do you move people beyond seeking quick fixes for single problems towards sustained self-care? People often look for a quick fix for a single problem, like a knee or an elbow. While fixing a single problem won't work long-term, it provides immediate pain relief and builds belief in the system. As they experience relief from one pain, they try another maneuver for another. Eventually, they realize the benefit of doing a full 15-minute or 30-minute routine. Our goal is to draw people back to self-care, helping them believe that minor, consistent actions can have long-term, multi-faceted effects. You have a background in encryption and government data, where information is compartmentalised. How do you see this mirroring the structure of modern healthcare? In my background, information is compartmentalized so nobody knows the whole picture, allowing control. This is what we've done in healthcare. A hundred years ago, your doctor, psychiatrist, oncologist, OBGYN, and physiotherapist might have been the same person. Today, we have over 600 specialties, and more are emerging daily. This over-specialization leads to sending people from one specialist to another, with general practitioners, who navigate these specialists, being the lowest paid and least educated. The model is completely upside down, evidenced by the all-time high rates of dysfunction, disease, and illness. You stated that no measurement of human health is better today than it was 30 years ago. Can you expand on this? Indeed. The only thing that was claimed to be better was living longer, but health data was altered 15 years ago by removing infant mortality from the pool, making it appear we were dying younger. We are now officially dying younger. Stress, anxiety, and all kinds of allergies, especially food allergies, are up. Over half of children today are diagnosed or treated as if they are on a spectrum. If I ask an audience if they or someone in their immediate circle has a chronic illness, 95 per cent raise their hands, which wasn't true even five years ago. We're diagnosing symptoms instead of addressing underlying issues. With half the doctors worldwide having left their stations since 2020, and a massive increase in people seeking help, how does Human Garage address this crisis? We answer up to a million health questions a month through our social media channel. These aren't simple questions; they're about severe conditions like POTS or glioblastoma. People seek answers from us, Google, or ChatGPT (which has become a better diagnostic tool for them) because they can't get reasonable answers from the traditional system. We don't claim cures. Our approach is founded on the basic principle that the body heals itself. We help the body heal by giving it a better environment, reducing stress, improving movement, and breathing better. You mentioned the body is becoming more dehydrated. How does this impact health, and how do fascial maneuvers, along with other practices, address it? The average person is 60-65 per cent water today, down from 70 per cent 30 years ago, and 80 per cent before that. Our primary construct is water, which is the conduit for electricity and signaling through the fascia, connecting the nervous system, nerves, glands, and organs. When water and minerals are deficient, the signal cannot be carried properly. Our solutions are simple: mineralis e the body (addressing dehydration), clean up the environment, and move the body. Fascial maneuvers are simple, non-invasive, and work with the fascia to allow the body to make decisions and move better. How do emotional and physical trauma become stored in the body, and what does it take to truly release it? Trauma is the body's inability to resolve a triangle: an event (physical, emotional, or perceptual insult), an attached emotion (anger, grief, fear), and a story you tell yourself about it. When the body is taken out of stress, I found personally that I could look at the event from a new angle, tell a new story, which affected my emotions, and allowed the trauma to release. While talk therapy works on the story and emotional regulation on the emotion, the memory of trauma is stored in the fascia. When that connection is broken by factors like heavy metals or dehydration, the memory can't be resolved. You have a unique perspective on memory, suggesting it resides in the body rather than just the brain. Can you explain this? I believe the body is the computer, and the brain is the processor running programs. If the brain just runs the same program over and over, it's not truly intelligent. The body's real processing capacity is immense. Consider the detail with which a 112-year-old woman can recall an emotion or smell. The body is the greatest computer. If you forget a phone number, your fingers might remember it on a keyboard. The subconscious and memories are in the body; the brain is just the recall mechanism. The brain is very 'trickable', as seen in magic or advertising, but the body is not. Can you elaborate on your belief that 'we are fascia'? From conception, a baby begins as a ball of plasma (fascia). All nerves, tendons, glands, organs, and bones grow within and are connected by fascia. It's the intelligent casing that holds everything together, moves it, and facilitates communication. You can remove every bone, nerve, gland, tendon, or organ, but you cannot remove fascia. Therefore, I propose that we are fascia. Our organs and systems make no sense without this 'house.' Furthermore, I suggest fascia extends into the energy field around us, enabling rapid responses like ducking before the brain is consciously aware of a threat. We need to look at the body in a new way because the current perspective isn't working. Have you seen a shift in how mainstream medicine is viewing somatic and fascia-based healing? Absolutely, they're flocking to it. Five years ago, few Western medicine doctors followed us; three years ago, a few world-renowned orthopedic surgeons reached out. Today, many more are adopting our methods. Younger doctors, especially, are realising the old ways aren't working and are using technology to seek better answers, engaging in research as a scientist should. While Eastern medicine has historically been more inclusive, both Eastern and Western models are failing, prompting practitioners to look for new solutions. We estimate about a million practitioners globally are now prescribing fascial maneuvers daily, with a growing number being medical-related. Our recent tour across 11 countries and 40 events confirms this shift in engagement. Can you share a transformative story that particularly sticks in your mind? I was just working with actress Eva Longoria recently, and ex-footballer David Beckham also called us to work with him. I publish these transformations on social media to give people belief that it can happen, but I'm careful not to imply that I'm the only one who can do it. This whole thing is not about me. I want to do less and less of it. I love when people take care of themselves. Even if a practitioner can only do 80 per cent of what I do, it's better to have millions doing 80 per cent than just me doing 100 per cent. I've even had people offer me hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly and see them, but I typically decline unless they are committed to helping others and sharing the information. That's worth more to me than the money. What is the biggest challenge in getting people to believe in your approach, given that it sounds intellectually difficult to grasp? If I explain it intellectually, it sounds hard to believe. That's why I don't do that. Instead, I get people to do it. When you feel the change in your body instantaneously – like feeling taller or straighter after a maneuver – it's hard to deny. You can argue logic, but feeling is undeniable. I want people to develop their own belief because if it's my belief system, they'll never contribute back to the whole. The days of gurus are gone. I'm on my own journey, inspiring others, and sharing information openly. Fascial maneuvers intellectual property is free and open-source because we want to reach people fast. Read:
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Labubus in UAE: Monster doll-themed ice creams, cakes now 'best sellers' across stores
What started as a quirky little character from Hong Kong has now become a craze in the UAE. Labubu, the mischievous creature with spiky hair, wide eyes, and a cheeky smile, has made its way into the hearts and homes of residents across the country. From toys and keychains to cakes, ice cream, and even chocolates, Labubu is everywhere. 'I had no idea what Labubu was until my daughter turned seven,' said Misha Fernandes, a resident of JLT. 'She wanted a Labubu cake for her birthday, and when I got her one, the reaction from her and her friends was priceless. They didn't even want to cut the cake because it looked too cute.' Themed cakes have become a huge hit, with bakeries across the UAE receiving frequent orders for Labubu-inspired designs. Occasions Cakes UAE and Gateau Gourmet are offering custom creations, with prices starting at Dh200. Customers can place orders online and get them delivered to their doorstep. But it's not just cakes. Head to any supermarket or discount store, and you are likely to spot Labubu keychains hanging near the checkout counters. They range from Dh3 to over Dh300, depending on the size and quality. Some are plush, some are plastic, and others even have lights or sound effects. 'It's not just the kids who are crazy about Labubu,' said Abdul Rahman, a father of two from Muweilah. 'Even I have started noticing how cute it is. We bought Labubu-shaped ice creams last week, and the kids were over the moon. It's such a fun way to enjoy dessert.' Labubu ice creams are available at the Frozen Factory and have become a hit at birthday parties and family gatherings. According to a staff member at the Al Zahia branch, the ice cream is flying off the shelves. 'We have seen a sharp rise in customers coming in just for Labubu ice cream,' said a salesperson. 'Parents come in with their kids, and some even call ahead to check if it's in stock. It's become one of our best sellers.' Soft toys are another hot item. Labubu plushies of all sizes are now common in supermarkets and toy shops. While some are official merchandise, others are local versions made to resemble the beloved character. In Sharjah, a well-known discount centre has become a hotspot for Labubu fans. 'Every single day, people come in asking for Labubu toys, snacks, and keychains,' said Hameed Shukur, a salesman at the store. 'We restock constantly, and still, it's hard to keep up with the demand.' What makes Labubu so appealing? For many, it's the character's expressive design and playful energy. For others, it's the growing trend on social media, where influencers showcase Labubu-themed hauls, gifts, and decorations. 'My son carries a Labubu keychain on his school bag, and now his whole class wants one too,' said Arfa, a resident of Abu hail. 'It's cute, harmless, and makes the kids happy.' As Labubu fever continues to spread, it's clear this little creature has found a big fan base in the UAE. Whether it's a cake, a plush toy, or a scoop of ice cream, Labubu has become more than just a trend.
