A 20-year-old may enjoy mountain biking through steep, bumpy terrain at speeds usually reserved for motorized vehicles. By the time they’re 35, thrills come from careening a grocery cart through a crowded aisle without harming fellow shoppers.
So with a target demo of those aged 25 to 35—people who used to like extreme sport, but are now a bit more cautious since they’ve got increasing responsibilities, such as families—BFGoodrich (part of Michelin Canada) was looking for a different way to frame the conversation. But it had to be more than just product-oriented.
The solution? A new television series called Rugged. As Marie Grégoire, vice-president, communications and marketing at HKDP Communications and Public Affairs says, the show is aimed at those that “still want the adrenaline to flow in their veins, but aren’t willing to jump off a cliff.”
The series is produced by Rat Films and consists of 13 30-minute episodes that cover high-performance sports, from skydiving to off-roading to surfing. The show will have two versions: Tim Deegan (MuchMusic) will host the English version and Claudine Prévost (CKOI, Musimax, TVA) will host the French version, called Pur & Dur.
The show will cover the technology, history, athletes and techniques involved in these sports. Plus, the hosts will compete with extreme sport athletes to show viewers how intense the sports are. “We wanted to have a show that would feature the DNA of the brand, which is fun and performance,” said Grégoire.
“We will have a good balance between motorized adrenaline sport and outdoor adrenaline sport,” said Grégoire. “BFGoodrich is an expert in every step of what a motorized adrenaline sport can be, so they help on location to direct the producer to the right athletes and the right angle for [shooting].”
This level of involvement shows BFGoodrich is taking a hands-on approach. “The BFGoodrich team had the idea for the show in the beginning and helped develop the concept and worked with Rat Film to produce it; it’s a real partnership,” said Grégoire. “It’s definitely more than them just putting a logo on the show.”
To start a conversation with the audience, the show’s hosts are going to talk about their experiences of filming and share behind-the-scenes videos via the show’s Facebook page.
Pur & Dur will be broadcast on RDS starting on October 6; the English version will also start airing in October on Sportsnet.
HKDP is handling public relations for the show. Nurun is handling interactive media, and Mediacom is the media agency.
