The Challenge:

Parachute Media was tasked with developing a creative way to showcase Merrell’s Arctic Grip technology, which performs best in icy conditions. We had to make sure that whatever we came up with was aligned with Merrell’s brand values. After scouring the internet, we found DIY Pete, a Bozeman, Montana local who spends his winters creating and maintaining a hockey rink in his backyard for the community to enjoy. His outdoor lifestyle and work on the rink were a perfect fit for Arctic Grip, so we wanted to share his story.

From there, our video production team did a pre-interview with Pete to determine what we wanted to focus our story on. A couple of flights later, we were hanging out with Pete in his living room, sipping coffee, and learning about his rink building process.

A full day of shooting with Pete in his natural habitat (working on various DIY projects, getting the rink ready for a skate session, going for a hike, inviting friends and neighbors over to play hockey, and some beers on the rink to cap off the evening) resulted in a fun-filled short film: Open Ice.

The Results:

Open Ice was an all around success on Merrell’s social channels, garnering more organic views than any other video posted that month. In addition, promoting the content using localized audiences made it especially relevant to those in Montana and hockey groups.