Tag Archives: Cycling

News

Making everyday rides extraordinary – Firehaus creates Vittoria ‘Own the Unknown’

Firehaus, the Bristol-based brand consultancy, are launching Vittoria’s latest brand campaign ‘Own the Unknown’. The campaign is a collaboration between global leaders in cycle tyre innovation Vittoria and fellow pioneers: percussionist and composer Ian Chang, sustainable trail creators Velosolutions, and members of the new UCI MTB World Cup team Pump for Peace Racing.

The campaign includes 60 and 15 second films which will run on YouTube, brand and partner social channels, as well as a series of interviews with the cast.

Vittoria is best known for its road tyres, used by some of the most famous riders and teams in the world. But it also has a fantastic range of MTB tyres which are increasingly being used by pro riders and teams. Firehaus was briefed to raise awareness of the brand in the global MTB community and reinforce key brand and product characteristics.

Shot on location in Flims, Graubünden, Switzerland three friends (Faranak Partoazar from Iran, Tumelo Makae from Lesotho and Velosolutions boss and downhill star Claudio Caluori) ride out from different start points. Descending from the edge of the Vorab glacier and the wooded valleys 1000m below they eventually meet up at – a destination unknown.

The film captures the interplay between drum surface and tyres hitting the earth’s surface, which takes on an almost spiritual dimension in the dramatic landscape of the Glarus Alps. It also highlights the relationship between cyclists and the environment.

Partners

Originally from Hong Kong, composer Ian Chang has built an impressive roster of progressive pop collaborators such as Moses Sumney, Joan As Policewoman, and Matthew Dear, among others, all while performing internationally and recording as a member of Son Lux and Landlady. One of his latest projects was the soundtrack to cult film Everything, Everywhere All At Once, with his band Son Lux. The film has gone on to win seven out of eight categories at the Hollywood Critics Association’s (HCA) Midseason Awards.

Claudio Caluori is well known to MTB riders around the world. The seven-time Swiss National Downhill Champion and Red Bull World Cup commentator has gone on to develop innovative sustainable trails business, pump tracks, and now the Pump for Peace Racing team. The vision for the team is to offer professional support to riders from nations where MTB is a fledgling sport and they’re prone to marginalisation and discrimination.

Ernesto Garcia Domingo, CCO at Vittoria says, “We are building the Vittoria brand around the idea of The Ride Ahead. This captures the rational benefits of our innovative products and the sustainable business processes we are putting in place. But it also captures the spirit of curiosity, optimism and courage we stand for. Own the Unknown encapsulates this perfectly for the MTB community.”

Ian Bates, Founder and Creative Partner at Firehaus comments, “This is a really interesting collaboration between a group of highly innovative partners. Putting Ian Chang’s experimental music together with cycling pioneers Claudio, Faranak, Tumelo and the world’s most innovative tyre brand Vittoria has added layers of meaning to the campaign. The exceptional features of the tyres are given a new lease of life in the narrative.”

Musician Ian Chang adds, “I’m really happy to see how Vittoria saw the connection between my music and their products and their world. So, it’s fun to see my music manifest itself in that way.”

 

Concept and art direction: Firehaus

Film production: Yanzi Creative

Director: Marco Marcassoli

Ian Chang performance footage: Thrdcoast, New York

 

News

UK economist delivers positive outlook for city businesses at free event

City centre businesses were given an update on the UK economy as part of a new networking group created by the city’s Business Improvement District, Chester BID.

The Professionals in Partnership group includes law firm Aaron and Partners as well as companies such as HSBC, Ellis & Co, Carting Minds Collective and JK Events and is aiming to bring the city’s business community closer together in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was the third since the group was formed, with Liz Martins, UK Economist at HSBC, delivering a positive outlook on the UK economy for attendees.

Individuals and businesses based across the city centre have been influential in setting the group up, including Emma McGlinchey, who sits on the Chester BID board and is a commercial property lawyer with a focus on the retail sector for Aaron & Partners.

She said: “Through this group we have hosted a series of informative online events and workshops with key themes focused on helping businesses work through many of the problems presented by COVID-19.

“This latest event followed a similar theme with a fantastic speaker offering all those in attendance valuable information on the health of the economy and what the future might hold for businesses.

“Aaron & Partners has been based in Chester city centre for 37 years and so this city is very much rooted in our heritage.

“We want to see it thrive and that’s why we’re supporting the Professionals in Practice group, helping to ensure professional services firms throughout the city can connect and learn from one another, and to create a stronger local network of like-minded professionals.”

The group has more free events planned for the future and is open to anyone with a vested interest in the growth and development of Chester’s business district.

Nick Hodson, Deputy Chair of Chester BID said: “Chester’s Business Improvement District comprises about 450 businesses and, although many are retail and hospitality, a significant number are professional services companies and we have been working hard to provide support tailored to their needs.

“Chester BID is keen that Chester is seen as a centre of excellence for professional services within the North West and North Wales, and the creation of high-quality events with great speakers with national profiles has been key element of our strategy.

“We’re keen to see as much cooperation and referral within the city as possible and believe the better we know each other and the stronger the relationships are, the more likely that will be.”

To find out more about the Professionals in Partnership group, visit https://chesterbid.co.uk.