Gymkhana virals produce 200 million hits
Over the years, many have doubted the power of social media, convinced it was just a fad. But this new viral video from Ken Block may convince them otherwise. The latest in his series of five films for his company DC shoes, it has already clocked 11,000,000 views and the series itself is about to go over 200,000,000!
Gymkhana 5: Ultimate playground; San Francisco
DC Shoes founder and professional rally driver Ken Block has taken his brand of insane stunt driving to the streets of San Francisco in the fifth installment of his series of viral Gymkhana videos, which are designed to burn up the web as well as several sets of tires!
Beautifully shot with a series of stunt cameras, fixed cameras and time splice cameras, the film makers took advantage of all manners of transport, attaching the devices to helicopters, cars and bikes amongst many others. The extreme sports star invades the city in his 600 hp Ford Fiesta racecar via the Bay Bridge and proceeds to drift and jump his way through its streets, performing a bevy of impressive technical moves along the way. He literally runs circles around a pair of moving cable cars at one point, whilst in another clip he circles his motorcycle racing pal Travis Pastrana, as the NASCAR driver performs a front wheel stand on his motorcross bike!
So how has this benefitted the brand? DC shoes we're the first brand to focus on skateboard shoes. For many extreme sportsmen, skateboarding was their first sport and love, which subsequently lead on to other sports. This immediately meant their potential audience was bigger than boarders alone. Starting with a loan from Block’s parents of $10,000 in 1994 and with a mix of pro skateboarders running the company, their talents attracted a great deal of media attention at events. They built on this coverage by hosting their own promotional events, which were designed to showcase its pro talents. One of the most notable was when partner Danny Way jumped ten feet from a helicopter to a ramp adorned with DC Shoes logos. Six years into trading the company had turned over an impressive $60 million.
Ken Block has used his fortune and love of extreme sports to take up rally and stunt driving, which he has used cleverly through his Gymkhana videos to support the brand and keep its core fans happy and reassured that this is a shoe made by professionals for professionals. Unlike many other brands who've expanded to quickly, lost focus and lost their core customers and disappeared, DC shoes has managed to keep its core audience happy, while launching sub brands for growth, which in 2010 saw a turnover of $100 million.
It's an important point to make that his customers are fans who become, through film, his audience! As long as the content remain entertaining!
See link for the whole series of films and experience the brand which 200 millions people have enjoyed.
Ken Block's – Gymkhana project
12 July 2012