Ever wanted to experience the adrenaline rush of an extreme sport without the life and death risk?
Reebok teamed up with Vice Sports to create a series called “The Moment,” which will let you experience the thrills of extreme sports without the risk of getting hurt. Reebok, as part of the larger Adidas Group, wanted their customers to know that their products can help them achieve their fitness goals and conquer the most extreme obstacles in their way. Denver-based photographer Matt Nager was called in to be the still photographer on the project and execute photographing extreme athletes from around the country using Reebok’s new apparel.
The branded content collaboration piece between incorporated YouTube’s 360-degree virtual reality functionality, highlighting extreme athletes and giving consumers a lifelike extreme sports experience, decked out in Reebok gear, of course.
Vice wanted to promote Reebok while still achieving their brand push as well. They shot a series of videos almost like a web series. Small video documentaries with 10 episodes in all.
During preproduction, Matt was given a mood board on which to base the project. He began planning by taking into consideration the locations he would be shooting, what the environment and lighting would be like, and how to alter everything to fit the client’s vision. Matt also worked on the extensive travel logistics for the national, multi-location shoot.
Given the various elements happening during this production (still, video, 360), Matt knew he only had a small window of time to shoot. He had a small crew of his own which helped, but he still had to move quickly to execute the shots within minutes.
I literally had 10-15 minutes while the video crew was changing locations. There was very little room for error. With such a fluid production, all my planned shots really had to go out the window and I had to think on the spot what 2-3 setups I wanted.
Vice and Reebok both loved the final images and were pleased the results could effectively promote their campaign. The images were used to push the various videos for their series on their website.
The images also double as a portfolio stunner for Matt’s Active Life section of his book. Certainly, traveling to the shoot locations was Matt’s favorite part as he was able to shoot in some beautiful places. He also always loves collaborating with teams on advertising shoots. Meeting and working with great creatives is always a blast for him.
Although there are no more plans at the moment for the campaign, Matt thinks it would be great if they did another season of shoots. Of course, he would love to jump back onboard.
See more of Matt here mattnager.com.