On released its second co-designed collection with Zendaya today, Oct. 1, as the Swiss sportswear brand pushes to win over younger women and challenge giants like Nike.

The debut campaign takes its cue from classic action movies. Argentinian directing trio Pantera shot the cinematic spot, which follows Zendaya through an urban chase.

In the ad, Zendaya fights off a crowd of women using martial arts. She wears the new collection head to toe. She finally escapes her pursuers, only to be met with a different kind of opponent — the campaign's closing twist.

The short film runs alongside still photography shot by Cass Bird.

Why is On repeating the Zendaya formula?

The Oct. 1 drop marks the second co-designed collection between the brand and the actor, confirming On's intent to build a sustained partnership rather than a one-off celebrity play. Zendaya gives On a direct line to the younger female consumers the brand has said it wants to convert.

That audience sits at the center of On's competitive ambition. The brand continues to fight for younger women as it challenges established giants, with Nike named as the benchmark competitor.

A repeat collection also signals commercial confidence in the first collaboration. Brands rarely greenlight sequels when the debut underperforms — and On has moved quickly to a second release with a bigger, more cinematic campaign attached.

What does the action-movie concept signal?

The creative marks a tonal escalation. Rather than a standard product showcase, On commissioned a narrative short film: a chase, martial-arts choreography and a cliffhanger ending. Classic action cinema provided the visual language.

Pantera, the Argentinian trio behind the direction, built the spot around movement and confrontation — a natural fit for a sportswear brand that wants its apparel seen under physical stress, not studio lighting.

Cass Bird's accompanying stills give the campaign a second visual layer, extending the assets beyond film into print-ready and social formats.

Can celebrity design collections move share from Nike?

On's strategy stacks two levers at once: celebrity co-design and cinematic storytelling. The first lever differentiates product; the second differentiates message. Together they aim at the same target — younger women deciding between On and the incumbents.

Challenging Nike in women's sportswear demands sustained cultural presence, not a single campaign moment. A second Zendaya collection released Oct. 1, with film and photography assets in market, shows On building exactly that cadence — and the next collection's reception will test whether the formula converts attention into share.