florence

Hands in the Pacific

Brand Film and Social Campaign

the opportunity

If the ocean was the last frontier in the adventure outdoor space then the 32-mile Catalina Classic paddleboard race is it’s Oregon Trail. It’s one of the most grueling human powered feats on this planet, yet it is still relatively unknown.

the insight

If the FLORENCE audience, especially the younger generation, only knew more about the race, it’s history, the legendary waterman who set its course and the next generation carrying the torch, the allure may intrigue them to paddling in a new light or even attempt the crossing themselves.

the solution

Unearth the rare words of Tom Blake from the first crossing in 1932, package up archival race footage shot by Greg Noll in 1958 and pair it with insights from 38x finisher Joe Bark, characterizing the Catalina channel as an arena where real watermen are born. Position FLORENCE test pilots Jack Bark and Toa Pere as the elite younger generation watermen taking the sport and the race to new heights.

  • We delivered a content mix in four formats to spread across FLORENCE'S communities on Youtube, Instagram and TikTok

  • Anchored with a 7 minute film called Hands in the Pacific for Youtube, we established FLORENCE as a culturally relevant voice for the sport of paddleboarding that placed it at the center its most historic race.

  • The film was promoted with a trailer distributed 3-days ahead of the race across Youtube Shorts, Instagram and TikTok noticeably buidling hype for the race and its racers.

  • We made a unique set of product-centric social assets to drive sales as part of FLORENCE’s paid social strategy on Instagram and Facebook.

  • From the cutting room floor we created a set of evergreen reels for organic social distribution on TikTok and Instagram.

:30 Film Promo

:15 Paid Social Ad

Organic Reel

Organic Reel

Organic Reel

Organic Reel

:15 Paid Social Ad

  • The project elevated FLORENCE as an authority voice in the world of paddleboarding's biggest race.

  • The teaser set off a wave of support for FLORENCE test pilots and awareness for the race driven by conversation and sharing amongst the FLORENCE communities.

  • Hands in the Pacific amplified FLORENCE to new audiences with earned media on Surfer and The Inertia.

  • Featured FLORENCE test pilot Jack Bark went on to not only win the race but set a race record paddling the 32-mile course in under 5 hours, the first person to do so since its inception in 1955. The achievement further elevated the conversation around the sport and the film.

“ If you're trying to build something of lasting value, you have to tell stories – not just make marketing. Layers understands this in their bones, and the work we were able to create with 'Hands in the Pacific' is a testament to that. We came to them with a POV but a loose vision, and with only a few days shooting, archival footage and pure creativity, they crystallized those threads into a powerful film that we think will stand the test of time. You'd be a crazy person not to trust them with your next project."

— Shawn Grant, Director of Brand Communications, FLORENCE