CASE STUDY

SCARPA NORTH AMERICA

BRAND RELATIONSHIP

F4D began working with Scarpa athletes long before the professional relationship was formed with the brand. Starting with Mark Morris, a Scarpa athlete and frontman of Colorado-based bluegrass outfit Rapidgrass, F4D created videos focused on Mark’s trailrunning adventures. As time passed, though, F4D and Scarpa began developing a relationship that has blossomed into content creation with photography and videos.

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Total Engagements

Pairs of Shoes Used on Trips

Est. Vertical Feet

SOCIAL CONTENT

There are many approaches to developing content for brands, but the one we like the most is practical application of the product with its intended uses in an adventure setting.

Our adventures often take us to the far reaches of the wilderness – bringing Scarpa shoes along allows our team to capture the product out in nature being tested and pushed to its limits. Scarpa requested that F4D create content focused around the Gecko Approach shoes. To do this, the F4D team took a climbing trip up North Table mountain in Golden, Colorado and captured some absolutely stunning content.

Another opportunity featured F4D CEO Gabriel Rovick packrafting, hiking and camping near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This was an opportunity to showcase shoes for both men and women. Scarpa used the content on its North American instagram account and garnered a lot of engagement.

The relationship blossomed out of an off-chance shoot with Mark Morris, a Scarpa athlete and frontman for Colorado bluegrass band Rapidgrass.

While on set filming Rapidgrass’ music video Happy Trails, the F4D crew decided to multi-task and shoot a branded content piece for the Scarpa trail running shoe that lead singer, Mark Morris, happened to be wearing. As a brand ambassador for the popular outdoor company, Mark was stoked to double-dip and combine his passions. This project-within-a-project displays the team’s ability to create on the fly and produce an end product that is exceptionally artistic, visually. Use of native sound with post-production techniques helps tell a story that is indulgent for the viewer’s eye and ear.

SCARPA | Morning Light

SCARPA | Trail Running

Scarpa Athletes

Fingers bloodied from grabbing holds

Miles Hiked to Reach Boulders

ATHLETE SUMMIT

F4D never passes on an opportunity to pack gear into bags and take a long walk into the woods, so when Scarpa requested our attendance at the inaugural Athlete Summit in Rocky Mountain National Park we eagerly said yes.

It all started out with a team meeting in the parking lot in Rocky Mountain National Park. After a quick rundown of the day (all of which was documented by F4D) the crew split into two groups and headed into the woods.

F4D followed the bouldering athletes to a different location than the route climbers. When the athletes reached the crag, everyone started laying out pads, chalking up hands and strapping on shoes.

F4D sat down with a few athletes for some intimate interviews about climbing, bouldering, gear and life. Palmer Larson, a Scarpa athlete whose proudest achievement is The Bleeding (5.14b) in Moab, sat down to discuss what it’s like working with Scarpa and the reason he chooses to wear the Instinct VS (women’s) shoe. Learn more about that in the forthcoming 60-second shoe profile.

We also got some words in with Sam Elias, one of the first Scarpa North America athletes, who gave more of a rundown of the Scarpa North America Athlete Summit and the athletes can expect moving into 2020.

All in all, the Athlete Summit was a educational opportunity for the adventure brand to connect its athletes with its core ideals, company values and future plans.