Sport Chek has tapped one of Canada’s best-known snowboarders for a new web series.
Called #FirstTracks, the three-part YouTube series follows Mark McMorris, who won a bronze medal at last year’s Olympics in Sochi, as he embarks on a Sport Chek-sponsored trip to a mountain range in New Zealand.
The final episode of the series, produced by Sid Lee, was released Jan. 20. The videos follow McMorris as he prepares for the trip, first visiting the headquarters of one of his sponsors, the snowboarding brand Burton, then meeting up with his friend Noah Bowman, a freestyle skier and fellow Olympian.
Together Bowman and McMorris visit their sponsors Oakley and Salomon — two brands that are sold at Sport Chek.
The aim of the series is to increase Sport Chek’s credibility amongst snowboarders and skiers, said Nick Bond, senior manager of marketing, planning and insights at FGL Sports (the retailer’s parent company).
Sport Chek already “dominates the category,” Bond said, and is looking to protect its lead and create long term relationships with hardcore skiers and snowboarders. What Sport Chek wants, Bond said, is to do well in the market not only because of the size of its retail presence, but also because customers perceive it as an authentic part of the ski community.
He sees working with McMorris as a way to achieve that goal. The retailer first started sponsoring the snowboarder during the Sochi Olympics. After he won, and became one of the Canadian stars to come out of the Games, Sport Chek moved quickly and shot a video last July ahead of this year’s ski season.
“He’s dynamic, people love him. He’s great on camera and has a great story. He’s everything in the category right now,” Bond said. Bowman, he said, was then brought on so the brand could represent the other half of the category – skiers – in part because of his established friendship with McMorris.
“There are few faces in this country that are so legitimate, authentic and aspirational in the ski and snowboard category,” said Bond. “They’re both Olympians, both at the top of their game and engaging and super passionate.”
Though a 30-second version was cut for the web, there will be no TV commercial for the campaign. The brand hopes to spark engagement and conversation with skiers and snowboarders, which is why it’s focusing on social media. It is currently promoting the series with paid media on both Facebook and YouTube. (North Strategic handled social media and PR for the campaign.)
In-store, Sport Chek is running a #FirstTracks promotion and is giving away an all-expenses paid ski trip and the chance to tour a factory run by one of the ski/snowboard brands it carries (Burton, Rossignol, K2, Ride). The idea, Bond said, is to give a customer the chance to live out the heli-skiing experience from the web series.
In that same vein, Sport Chek has partnered with 19 ski hills across Canada for a promotion that will see them open an hour early for Sport Chek customers. When customers spend $300 or more in-store in January, they are given a card with a code they can enter on Sport Chek’s website, where they can select the hill and date they want a pass for. As part of the promotion, Sport Chek is giving away one free lift pass and two passes to ride early.
The first two installments of #FirstTracks, released Jan. 6 and Jan. 13, have garnered 130,000 and 98,000 views respectively. The 30-second cut promoting has pulled in 142,000 views.
