Based in Jackson Hole, WY, Stio is a brand that was founded on the mountain lifestyle. Providing outwear for life and adventures in the mountains, stories of people living out these adventures is just as much a part of their brand as the clothes themselves.
They were looking for a way to help connect this brand story into an event activation around storytelling and adventure.
The Idea.
To nurture and embrace the mountain experience narrative, Cultivate worked with Stio to help produce a brand experiential marketing event that curated stories of adventure through film.
The Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Event was brought to concept and leveraged through a partnership with 5point Adventure Film Festival.
The Activation.
Here’s how it worked:
- Adventure filmmakers have a window to submit their film ideas to Stio.
- Stio reviews all proposals based on their connection to Stio brand values: Let The Outside In, Connection with Nature, Balance, Epic & Everyday Moments, Authentic Mountain Life, Stewardship
- Five finalists are chosen to pitch their ideas to a set of judges in front a live audience at the flagship 5Point Adventure Film Festival.
- The chosen winner will receive a check for $15,000 to help them get started on the creation of the film. Once the film has been completed, it will premiere at the festival.
Marketing
We worked with Stio to create an identity for the event, marketing collateral, and a marketing execution plan.
The Brand
Digital Marketing
The Execution.
After a lot of planning, marketing and reviewing proposals, the 1st Annual Adventure Filmmakers Pitch Event took place in front of an enthusiastic audience in Carbondale, CO.
Film ideas ranged from telling the story of a tiny ski hill in New England run by a dedicated co-op of families, to an incredible elderly woman in Colorado who decides to walk the entire state to raise awareness for natural resources, to a few buddies on an adventure in the Yukon Territory.
The event turned into a unique and special opportunity for a clothing brand like Stio to play an ongoing role in the actual discovering and creation of adventure stories, rather than just utilizing them for marketing purposes. The activation not only contributed to the strength of the story behind their brand, but also to the filmmaking community in general.