Los Angeles photographer Erik Isakson recently got a taste of GMC luxury as he took the Denali line on a road trip through Southern California. From climbing the cliffs of the Santa Monica mountains to sailing on a Catamaran in Marina Del Rey, Erik hit all the right places to create a photoshoot-worthy road trip. The Denali Duet project was the second of three shoots that GMC planned to provide an experience-based ad campaign, the goal being to create more realistic, user-focused images as opposed to glamorous product shots.
GMC wanted to show that the Denali line has both form and function, whether it’s off-roading in the Sierra mountains or pulling up to a five-star hotel. They sent Erik to all different locations so he could show off his own user experience with the car.
We drove the GMC Terrain, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL throughout the Santa Monica mountains, down to Leo Carrillo Beach in Malibu, and ended up at the Fairmont Hotel for a gourmet dinner.
Erik and his team worked with Gentry Jackson, an adventure outdoor outfitter company, to help them plan the details and logistics of the trip. The group had to make it to the mountains to rock climb, then down to the beach to meet jet skis that took them to the catamaran for the trip home. Between gear, crew, and unexpected elements, the trip was a lot to organize, and Erik was happy to have the help planning.
It was MUCH hotter the day we shot the production than when we originally scouted it out. Not to mention having to hike 4-5 miles with heavy packs of camera gear and accessories!
Thanks to Erik’s strategic planning and a game crew, everything fell into place and the team made it back just in time for dinner.
GMC and the other media outlets that have used Erik’s images were very pleased with the results of the shoot. The project’s success has led to tentative plans for regional projects around the country to promote how the Denali can handle every part of the U.S.’s varying geography. GMC even loaned Erik a Canyon pickup truck for a week as a thank you for a job well done.
I love outdoor adventure activities, so this project fell right in line with what I love to do. I’ve become good friends with the amazing people at the PR agency, as well as GMC, and its really turned into a fun collaboration from all sides.
To view more of Erik’s work, check out erikisakson.com.