KEEP IT WILD

For over 3 years I worked on Keep it Wild. On this campaign we managed to beat out Subaru for the number one spot in share at 18.8%! In this region, beating out both Subaru and Jeep is a big win.

Since 2016 I’ve been directing and managing the creative for the Keep It Wild campaign in Colorado. The objective, to showcase the capable 4Runner in the rugged terrains of the Denver region. Authenticity is a key element in all Colorado work, so we had to do our own research and rely on intuition when conveying our target in addition to the insights provided on the brief. The nature of these projects were very hands on. Often times I’d be scouting and physically directing every aspect along with my team. I’ve scaled cliffsides, hiked in two feet of snow in well below freezing temperatures and hung out from the back of pickups directing the camera operator. I loved every moment of it. I have a huge appreciation of the outdoors.

The challenge for this work has always been pushing the limits of the vehicle without over promising. So, although most drivers may not want to smash through a snow drift or grab some air in the mud course, their aspirations and confidence in the engineering of a machine capable of doing so will get them to purchase.

We were able to maintain authenticity and avoided a “salesy” tone with the spot. This work truly inspires and draws people in without spoon feeding the features and claims. We wanted to make people want to jump in a new 4Runner and take part in the Colorado outdoors that weekend.

We also had the opportunity to use Nash Kato for the voice over. If you don’t know who he is, he’s the guy who sings “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” on Kill Bill. His voice was just perfect for the Colorado outdoorsman. Again, authenticity. Kato was the “guy” without much acting. We just needed to guide him and dial his voice over in to set the stage for Keep It Wild.

In addition to broadcast we spent time collecting as much b-footage for digital and print applications during this one-day shoot. Prior to shooting we’d concept potential tactics, so we had an idea what to look for. Some tactics were set but due to the freedom to capture the footage first hand and the great relationships with the vendor and client we were able to really push the potential of the shoot on the limited budget and time.