Surfing is normally associated with California sun and not the snow, rain, ice and cold of a Canadian winter, but surf lifestyle brand Reef thinks otherwise with the release of a new wintertime surfing film.
Common Ground shows four Reef Canadian ambassadors surfing in Tofino, B.C. and near Halifax, N.S. between January and March. The 17-minute film is the first movie Reef has done in Canada.
Though the waves here are better in winter than in summer, “I’m not trying to promote Canada as a wintertime surf destination,” says Anouck Chandonnet, marketing and product coordinator at Reef Canada in Montreal.
Instead, she says the film helps her promote Reef as a year-round brand. She notes when people think about Reef they usually think of sandals and shorts, but Reef also sells jackets, pants and boots – products that aren’t always top-of-mind.
Chandonnet adds it was important for Reef to do a surf video that explores both coasts of Canada. “People don’t think about Canada as a surf destination” and when they do, they mostly consider the West Coast. But, “the East Coast has beautiful waves. We wanted to capture what Canada has to offer.”
Shannon Brown, a Reef Canadian ambassador and one of the surfers in the film, notes that surfing in Nova Scotia in winter “made for the most unique experience I’ve ever had. I’ve never seen a forecast that says temp -3 °C , wind chill -20 °C and I’ve definitely never walked across a frozen pond to get to the surf.”
The film was officially launched in late May at surf shops and cafés in Montreal, Tofino and Halifax, and is available on Reef.com, YouTube and other video sites.
To date, the film, trailer and photo galleries have received more than one million impressions, says Chandonnet.
Print advertising is planned that will showcase photos that were taken during the shooting. As well, Reef plans to put the movie in store windows and on retailers’ in-store video screens in the fall. The film is also being promoted on social media and to surf and travel media.
The brand has been releasing regular five-minute films this year that highlight Reef’s “Just passing through” surf and lifestyle philosophy featuring global Reef ambassadors.
Charming Media is the public relations agency of record in Canada for Reef Canada.
