Daryl Brown is a renowned freeride mountain biker, celebrated for his record-breaking achievements and high-energy riding style. Known for his unparalleled technical skill and fearless approach, Daryl has competed at the highest levels of freeride and dirt jumping, with standout performances at events like Crankworx and Red Bull District Ride. Beyond competitions, he is recognised for his progressive riding, viral edits, and contributions to the evolution of freeride mountain biking.

As Creative & Art Director, Design Lead, and Photographer, I was responsible for delivering a visually striking and strategically impactful campaign for Daryl Brown’s “Summer Surge” edit. This project required a multi-disciplinary approach, combining high-energy photography, video, digital marketing, and design to ensure maximum reach and engagement across multiple channels.

I directed the shoot and shot the full photography campaign, capturing dynamic still imagery that showcased Daryl’s precision, speed, and skill, as well as the performance and engineering of the Whyte E180 bike. My photography played a key role in shaping the visual identity of the campaign, providing assets for promotional materials, digital marketing, and press features.

In addition to photography, I also edited and repurposed the video footage, cutting it down into short-form content for social media, teasers, and paid ads. This ensured the video was optimised for multiple platforms, increasing its impact across Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and other digital channels. The video assets were seamlessly integrated into the campaign, reinforcing key messaging and maximising engagement.

Beyond the shoot itself, I developed a multi-phase marketing strategy to sustain engagement before, during, and after the release.

• A high-impact teaser campaign featuring cinematic photography and motion-based social assets, designed to build anticipation.

  
  

• A content-rich landing page, which I designed to tell the story of Daryl’s edit, highlight the E180’s capabilities, and drive conversions. This page gained traction, being featured and linked to by leading industry news outlets.

  
  

• A social media and paid ad rollout, leveraging my photography and key stills from the edit to engage core audiences and extend reach.

  
  

• A post-launch engagement strategy, including behind-the-scenes content, athlete interviews, and user-generated content, ensuring the campaign’s longevity.

The challenge was to balance compelling storytelling with performance-driven marketing, ensuring the campaign not only captured attention but also drove measurable results in engagement and sales.