Video Case Study

Aerialite

Here’s a case study where you might learn a neat factoid or two for your next dinner conversation. Aerialite makes fiberglass designed specifically for surfboards, stand up paddle boards and every other kind of water board you can think of. Surfboards start as foam blocks which are then shaped by board builders and glassed with performance fiberglass. When Aerialite was introduced, it created a market demand for high end fiberglass across the surfboard building industry. Fifteen years later, we were challenged with refreshing the original branding, and creating modern content that reflected the current climate of surf culture. Along with a refocused social media push, that meant we needed to make some videos!

The Challenge:

With previous Aerialite marketing focusing on flashy, iconic imagery of female surfing models having run its course, the challenge was to find a new image for the brand that felt more natural. It needed to connect to the already growing fan base in a personal way, as well as draw in new board builders and manufacturers. Surfing is a very defined culture. No matter where they are in the world, they’re a community. The new focus needed to speak their language and get in the mix of what was happening now. It had to get on the pulse.

The Campaign:

There’s is a strong sense of reverence within surf culture. Every part of the process from foam block to hitting the waves is respected and lauded. Pride and craftsmanship are deeply rooted in the board building industry, and we knew it was necessary to take a look at those roots. A behind the scenes look at the gritty board building process became the focus to move the Aerialite brand forward. A series of documentary style videos created a natural and exciting way to present Aerialite as a product that fit the board builder’s way of life and made their job easier. Interviews with shapers and glassers allowed them to showcase their work and way of life and organically highlighted the three key elements of Aerialite- Clarity, Strength, and Ease of Use.

The Results

2,654

New Followers

Facebook 78% 78%
Instagram 89% 89%
Twitter 50% 50%

The board builder’s process and life had never been properly illustrated on a large scale. Documenting them allowed Aerialite to speak the surfing language without it feeling forced or unnatural. This ignited the current fan base and generated new excitement across the world in targeted regions like Australia and Hawaii, where Aerialite was making waves (pun intended). The majority of the impact could be seen across social media, where surfers and shapers are most reachable. Language pulled straight from the interviews became new brand messaging, and when positioned with images from the video shoots it helped generate 2,654 new followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter over a five month period. Upon speaking with surfboard shapers and glassers at industry expos and showing them the new materials, each one gave full support to the vision and focus and expressed overwhelming excitement at the new look. They were grateful that Aerialite cared as much about their craftsmanship as they did. As Aerialite continues to innovate the market it helped create, the new video push will keep its focus current and essential to the international surfing industry. Plus, we won an award for our work! Our video “Aerialite – Pride in Craftsmanship” won Best Interview Video at PR Daily’s 2016 Video Awards! Say what?

The Results

The board builder’s process and life had never been properly illustrated on a large scale. Documenting them allowed Aerialite to speak the surfing language without it feeling forced or unnatural. This ignited the current fan base and generated new excitement across the world in targeted regions like Australia and Hawaii, where Aerialite was making waves (pun intended). The majority of the impact could be seen across social media, where surfers and shapers are most reachable. Language pulled straight from the interviews became new brand messaging, and when positioned with images from the video shoots it helped generate 2,654 new followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter over a five month period. Upon speaking with surfboard shapers and glassers at industry expos and showing them the new materials, each one gave full support to the vision and focus and expressed overwhelming excitement at the new look. They were grateful that Aerialite cared as much about their craftsmanship as they did. As Aerialite continues to innovate the market it helped create, the new video push will keep its focus current and essential to the international surfing industry. Plus, we won an award for our work! Our video “Aerialite – Pride in Craftsmanship” won Best Interview Video at PR Daily’s 2016 Video Awards! Say what?