One of the things I like about a lot of the video advertising work that is being produced for the web is the lack of confinement. By that I mean the people producing these works aren’t locked into 15 and 30 second edit lengths, and there is less of a direct message push. Many of the videos I see that are sponsored by and produced for a specific brand these days have more of a lifestyle feel to them. Case in point is the beautiful video below for Yeti Cycles.

Filmed and directed by Craig Grant this video is as much about the joy of being in Colorado in early fall, as it is about Yeti Cycles. There is no dialog, no direct message, no in your face selling, just a guy on a bike riding through absolutely gorgeous mountain scenery. Grant does a masterful job filming the biker as he carves his way down the mountain, through the golden glow of the aspens. At the end, there is a single splash screen with the company logo on it.

I find this successful for a couple of reasons. First it created a lasting memory. One that I now associate with Yeti Cycles. Two, it is something people want to share, which in fact spreads brand awareness. This is the kind of ad I wouldn’t skip, mute, or fast forward over. It’s the kind of advertising that could in fact be compressed into a broadcast length and still be effective. Even the supporting editorial on Vimeo lack the in your face style so much advertising presents. It’s about the location, and the ride, not the product.

“Like every other season, fall is pretty magical in the Colorado high country. By the end of summer, cool winds are already moving over the mountains and the peaks are getting dusted with snow. The aspens shed their leaves, covering the trails in red and gold, and morning frosts dampen the dry summer dirt. Add it all together, and it means several weeks of absolutely prime singletrack—sticky, colorful, and emptied of the summertime foot traffic. It was in search of those conditions that we headed into the mountains with our SB66s and a checklist of our favorite trails.”

I hope this style of advertising catches on in a larger way.