Educating & Entertaining

This was one of our most interesting public service announcements in terms of finding a solution to address a growing local problem. UTVs – or Side by Sides – are increasingly popular in and around public lands. Many users new to the sport don’t know off-road trail etiquette, resulting in damage to the trail systems, the environment and raising noise and safety concerns with locals and other trail users. Add to this the fact that in Moab, Utah it’s legal to drive UTVs through town on public streets, and you can begin to imagine the multiple issues.

The problem to reach the viewing public was doubly challenging in that while it’s possible to reach tens of thousands of potential Moab visitors online through social media and websites, very few will watch an “educational” video on the rules of UTV riding.

Our solution was to make a video on UTV trail etiquette and wrap it in a cool video that highlights the unique appeal of the sport, one that engages the viewers appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors and the importance of keeping the trails open to this amazing riding experience.

These problems found common interest from seemingly disparate groups – the BLM who daily faces the challenge of keeping visitors safe and protecting the resources, and owners of the UTV tour companies who also have a stake in educating their customers to not blaze through town and to leave the landscape as beautiful as you found it for the next visitor.

Additional challenge was found in the filming environment – rugged, hot, dusty and bouncy is tough on the filmmakers, the models and the hi-tech film gear. Filming in the “slow season” when both BLM and the UTV operators have time to work with the film crew meant the middle of July where temperatures averaged 108° each day of the filming.