PROJECT BREAKDOWN: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor III
After a successful campaign for the launch of the Prodigio Max, La Sportiva returned to us to produce the launch campaign of the Ultra Raptor III. The URIII is the third iteration of one of La Sportiva’s most long-standing and iconic products, and they wanted to honor the shoe’s heritage, while crafting a piece for the future of the brand. Read our campaign review to learn how we brought this to life, and scroll to the bottom for a behind the scenes gallery of production images.
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW:
PRODUCT: Ultra Raptor III
DELIVERABLES: Complete video/photo package
1-minute launch spot, with cutdowns for ad campaigns and web placements.
Mini branded documentary, telling the story of a local rifugio manager, and his philosophy behind teaching the next generation to care for the mountains.
Still photos (80-100)
THEME: Icon Across Generations
For decades, the Ultra Raptor has been known as one of La Sportiva’s most iconic shoes. For the 3rd iteration of the shoe, La Sportiva wanted to honor the tradition and impact that this piece of gear has had on the world of outdoor recreation, while pointing towards the future. Everything from showing the previous versions of the shoe in the opening shot, to the choice of talent, to the generational documentary story fits into this theme.
ATHLETES: Elena & Albi
BRAVI CANI: Beto e Iona
LOCATION: Rifugio Stivo, Italia
Typically, those looking after mountain huts like Rifugio Stivo tend to be older, retired people, looking to give back to the mountain community. This isn’t always the case, however, and certainly isn’t at Rifugio Stivo. Albi (36 y/o at the time of filming) has dedicated his life to teaching the younger generation to care for the mountains, and make their own culture of the outdoors. Almost all the staff at the rifugio are 18-15, and the rifugio often hosts educational nights focusing on social justice, environmental conservation, etc. Albi’s also a rippin’ DJ, and will sometimes play vinyl house sets on top of the mountain. Alongside these aspects, the rifugio’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly products made for perfect setting for the launch of the Ultra Raptor.
GEAR CHOICE: Canon R5 // Canon R6 // Mavic 4 Pro
Filming on a Canon R5 in 8K and a Mavic 4 Pro gave us ample opportunity to sculpt the immense glory of the Italian Alps into our film deliverables. Johny Cook joined us to head up the stills portion of the campaign, and used a variety of lenses on his R6. We used a lot of wide angle lenses, on camera flashes, and even an 8mm fisheye to give the pieces a playful, immersive, and energetic feel.
CHALLENGES: Seasonal Shifts, Product Changes, etc.
One of the biggest challenges on this one was navigating the environmental changes. The product wasn’t ready to shoot before the fall, yet La Sportiva wanted to present the shoe in the context of the spring. When we went on our location scout a few weeks before the shoot, the leaves were already changing color significantly. We had to be quite careful to adjust our composition and angles to avoid showing the fall colors during the shoot. Additionally, the design team made some last minute changes to the product just a few days before the shoot, and didn’t have time to get us the production model of the shoe. We ended up adjusting a lot of the shots to not linger on the piece’s details that were going to be changed.
