Why We Love Burley

Objective:

Burley makes bike trailers for a multitude of applications, and while the bulk of their products are used by parents to tote around their children, the brand would have you know that that is just the tip of the iceberg.

This was one of the objectives Burley had for us when they approached us to build a campaign for them. “We make products for a lot more than just moms,” they said.

In addition to the kid trailers, the brand makes pet-specific models, commuter trailers and products for bikepackers.

Adventure. Safety. Versatility. All further objectives — various adjectives that Burley would like their brand to be associated with. 

Strategy:

That’s a lot to accomplish in a roughly five-minute-long campaign. To do it well, those things had to be implied at an emotional level, not addressed overtly. My goal was to find a power-user whose story could naturally address several of those objectives.

This led me to the Hocholongos.

Well, that’s what they call themselves — the writing and adventuring duo of David Hoch and Jen Sotolongo. Oh, and don’t forget Sora.

Dave, Jen and Sora (the couple’s Australian Shepherd) have bikepacked across Europe, then down through South America. Adventure? They had it in spades.

But what they had in addition to this was an emphasis on safety and versatility.

Through the extent of this interview and story, we were able to highlight the values that Burley builds into every trailer and product. The authenticity of the Hocholongos’ quotes and imagery proved invaluable in aligning our message with the brand’s goals.

This was a great story to tell, and I was very inspired by Jen, Dave and Sora’s adventures.