JULIA CHANOURDIE: OLYMPIC ATHLETE

The Challenge

In the run-up to the Olympic Games, Julia Chanourdie, a French competitive Rock Climbing athlete was tipped as the rising star of international athletic climbing. With a convincing track record of wins and accomplishments, her place was secured on the French National Olympic Team delegation. With a renewed public interest in the sport, it was time to take these accomplishments to a wider audience.

Our Strategic Brand Design Approach

Originally commissioned to produce a series of articles and conduct research for an upcoming documentary, we forged a close alliance with this extraordinary athlete. Professionally, Julia already held an impressive record in the IFSC rankings, but its website only featured short individual bios without telling the full story of each athlete's journey. We decided to expand our work from the national and international editorial pieces and create an interactive site to inspire younger female climbers to take up the sport by celebrating her journey and accomplishments.

Gravity-defying antics

In line with the growing tendency of the target demographic to use social media, our approach was to engage them with a free-scrolling site of similar content they could dip in and out of. Using a "scrapbooking" aesthetic, we crafted an interactive timeline showing key stages of her career. Using hand-picked footage obtained during filming of the "day in the life of" documentary, the athlete was portrayed via candid scenes where she had to overcome the challenges, struggles and stress of competitive climbing. This was contrasted with excerpts of her numerous wins and successes, providing an unprecedented level of authenticity.

Personal Brand Transformation Results

Julia became a household name and a true ambassador for the sport, recognised by fellow athletes, sports enthusiasts and the general public. Despite retiring temporarily from professional and competitive events due to injury, the athlete is now back on form. Inspired by the broad fanbase and interest accumulated through our storytelling and personal branding creation, Julia herself has been inspired to continue the conversation through social media, having amassed a staggering 72K+ of followers on her instagram account.