Burned Lines
This project took a look at the effects of wild fires on mountain bike trails in California, how their disappearance upended people’s day to day lives and the amazing folks and organizations that are rebuilding them. We shot this project in November 2018, and partner brands (The Athletic, Blackburn, Kona Bikes, and others) have teased some of the story and images on social media, landing as a feature in BIKE Magazine. The images have also been used as catalogue and web assets, and will feature soon in a prominent blog.
How it worked
In November of 2018, we took a small crew on a 4 day road trip to three primary locations in Northern California that were affected by wildfires as recently that summer. The intent was to capture stark images that were visually stunning, but also to draw the viewer into the back story and offer content that had more depth than your usual brand work. Barry Wicks from Kona Bikes joined us as our trail muse, Brian Vernor snapped the stills, Jeremy Dunn on words (and drone operator!) and Robin Sansom produced as well as BTS stills/video. We met with land managers, advocacy groups and trail users themselves to understand the personal and communal impacts of the fires. Some of the trails were rideable and had reopened, while others will still under construction . . . including at our own hands as we bent our backs to the effort.
What Our Partners Got
Publishing in the bike and outdoor media spaces
Exclusive images that highlighted specific products and/or features per the brand’s direction
100+ shared images that spark the imagination and help tell a fantastic story
Multiple written iterations of the story tailored to websites (blogs), and a catalogue feature story.
IG tagging by creatives + talent during shooting
3-5 direct IG posts for each brand that elected to do so
BIKE Magazine | Feature Story, September 2019
The trailhead is at the end of a residential road, complete with proper sidewalks and curbs; and within a few minute’s drive of downtown Redding. On the cul-de-sac, a house at our nine o’clock has a lush, bright-green lawn. The house at noon is notably dulled at the far corners, and there is a port-o-potty stationed at the end of the driveway, along with workers repairing the damage. At two and four o’clock there are not structures per se, only two separate squares of chain-link fence. The fencing surrounds the pools of disappeared homes. This scene marks the start of an exploration of several northern California trail systems that have been affected by powerful fires in recent years. The randomness at which fire devastates some and spares others, is a stark reminder that the biggest toll these disasters extract is on people’s immediate lives, livelihoods, and homes, not to mention the forest itself. read full article
Images
Blackburn Design | Catalogue, Social Media, Web
