Interview

"Performance Perfected" – the New Campaign on ZEISS PhotoFusion X

Interview with Lucas Wilson, parkour athlete, free runner, and face of the new marketing campaign for photochromic lenses.

22 February 2022

Faster, higher, better – these attributes describe professional parkour and free-running athlete Lucas Wilson. Since 2009 he has followed his passion in this remarkable sports segment. On top of that, he is also successful as a sports and advertising model and a stuntman in films. Recently, he was in front of the camera for the new ZEISS campaign promoting the next generation of photochromic lenses – ZEISS PhotoFusion X. In this interview, he talks about his career and the new campaign.

ZEISS Potofusion X - camapign keyvisual — The key visual of the new marketing campaign for ZEISS PhotoFusion X shows parkour athlete and free runner Lucas Wilson in action.

Lucas, you are a professional parkour and free-running athlete. What exactly makes this sport so fascinating for you?

Until I was 15 years old, I tried many things and initially focused on the most typical sport: Soccer. Since my first contact with parkour and free running via various videos back in 2009, I began to explore movement entirely differently. Until today I am really fascinated by those special moments up in the air, the "magic moments", as I named them, when I have total control in the air, almost standing in the air. And when you later see a picture of these special moments, you ask yourself: How did he actually get there?

As a professional athlete, stuntman, and model, what does your everyday life look like?

I'm lucky that I've literally been able to turn my hobby into my profession. Nevertheless, I have structured my daily routine. Especially because parkour is a one-sided sport, I try to work on my physical imbalances first every morning. At the end of the day, I want to practice the sport for as long as possible. At noon, I take time for office work and videos that I post on social networks, for example. I use the afternoons and evenings for specialized weight training and specific parkour techniques. And of course, I sometimes get booked for film or commercial shoots, where I can show what I've been training for.

A look behind the scenes at the ZEISS PhotoFusion X shoot. — There were calm and sporty scenes at the ZEISS shoot with freerunner and model Lucas Wilson.

Talking about models, you also stood in front of the camera for ZEISS. How was the shoot?

It was fascinating to be in front of the camera for ZEISS. From a sporting perspective, it was also a challenge, of course. As an athlete, I have to make sure that my performance doesn't fall short when I'm on set. After all, sometimes I’m in front of the camera for eight to ten hours. That was actually the big challenge during the ZEISS shoot: consistently delivering full performance during the three days of filming and photographing. But the final result in the campaign video shows that I did a very good job. Not least because I felt comfortable on the set.

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The campaign video shows athlete Lucas Wilson in full action.

You're not yet a spectacle wearer yourself. Have you ever heard of photochromic lenses before?

To be honest, this was entirely new for me. I've not worn self-tinting lenses before, either. And I have to admit that I thought it would be something completely different. For example, I couldn't imagine how quickly the lenses would tint outdoors and look like regular sunglasses. And how quickly the lenses would clear up again and look like standard clear glasses once you were back indoors.
Overall, I felt like I was wearing quality on my face every time.

Overall, I felt like I was wearing quality on my face every time.

Lucas Wilson

Would self-tinting lenses fit your lifestyle? In other words, would they benefit you in your everyday life?

Absolutely. Especially in my job and in sports, speed is essential. I'm on the move a lot, both indoors and outdoors. So, it makes sense to have glasses that can keep up with this fast-paced lifestyle.

Thank you very much for the interview!

The key element of the new marketing campaign

The new campaign "Performance perfected. Faster clear. Faster dark." uses the metaphor of the free runner, Lucas Wilson, to highlight the strong dynamics of the product. ZEISS has achieved increased performance by combining new, fast-reacting photochromic dyes, a new, speed-optimized carrier matrix, and new base material. The result is ZEISS PhotoFusion X lenses. More about the latest product in the press release.