Salomon needs very little introduction within the outdoor industry and is recognised as a global leader in producing outdoor, progressive equipment across run, hike and alpine. They are consistently driven by passion, craftsmanship and their brand ethos; producing gear to create enjoyment and challenge in the great outdoors.
Since 1947 Salomon has stayed true to challenging the rules in a playful and light-hearted manner, whilst remaining focused and determined. A consistent desire to develop technologies alongside selected top athletes and the brand values reflected throughout the company has made it one of the longest-serving iconic brands in the industry.
The Challenge
In 2017 Brandwave delivered the Sunset Series, the first activation of its kind for Salomon and UK trail running. This project was centered on Salomon’s ambition to grow trail running as a sport. Following on from 2017’s Sunset Series the brief for 2018 was simple – bigger and better! The key objectives remained the same, to grow trail running as a sport by; removing the barriers to entry by educating participants on how to trail run, where to find their local trails and introducing them to the Salomon run community.
Brandwave established three key aspects as the overarching strategy to underpin all project activities:
”"To deliver the Trail Festival was a big team effort, so thank you to everyone at both Brandwave and Salomon who worked tirelessly to deliver an incredible series of events. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve for 2019, watch this space…."
Emma CoxEvent Organiser
The Result
Brandwave successfully delivered The Salomon Trail Running Festival 2018 at two iconic locations; Box Hill in Surrey and The Pentland Hills in Edinburgh. The trail festival was a natural progression from the Sunset Series, offering consumers more from the event and more of an opportunity for the brand to engage with their new audience.
Brandwave and Salomon had gained valuable insight from the participants that attended the 2017 Sunset Series. Which informed the development of the festival agenda. The events were loaded full of trail running activities in pursuance of improving attendees’ running technique and knowledge, attracting over 1,300 sign-ups. With a choice of a timed 10km or 20km run, trail workshops, talks and guided runs with top Salomon athletes, the festival prioritised enjoyment and education over competition.
1,303
Participant Tickets Sold
330
Trail Workshop Attendees
334
Guided Run Attendees
33
Trialled Products At Event
3,500,000
Social Campaign Reach
Brandwave also sourced strategic partnerships to grow the event infrastructure. Grangers; to protect and care for trail shoes and apparel, Suunto as timing partner and Ordnance Survey to equip participants with the knowledge of where to find their local trails.
Stepping off the pavement into nature
Strategically placed with easy access from cities to show the accessibility of local trails, the festival sites showcased some of the best of the UK’s trails. While many personal bests were achieved, the sheer joy of running in the great outdoors was the main sentiment echoed throughout the events.
A truly immersive experience
Brandwave re-used the 7.5 tonne Salomon branded lorry that was originally created during the 2017 Sunset Series project to provide a practical, comfortable and experiential space. The vehicle hosted talks from Salomon athletes on nutrition, cross training and tips on where to find trails. The aim of this was to provide runners with the essential information to lead them on their journey and help them to engage with the Salomon community.
Carefully selected yoga practitioners led workshops teaching runners the benefits of yoga for improving running and recovery. Quality food and drinks stalls fuelled runners through their action-packed schedules all the way through to the evening where a live band kicked off the celebrations.
Credit: Globalshots
