The short documentary style film, created by Shimano Originals, shows two women on a two-day bike ride through the Oregon Coast Range. It tells their personal stories with self-confidence and body shame, before showing the ways cycling has helped them to become healthier, happier and more confident.

Using emotive personal stories to show the positive impact of the brand’s technology increases Shimano’s reputation as an inclusive company, actively working to better the lives of its customers.

The campaign taps into societal preoccupation with weight gain and food. But, it does so through the positive lens the bicycle community supporting one another.

The video tells the story of Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky, who come together to diversify the bicycle community and encourage people of all shapes and sizes to ride. “For a long time I wasn’t seeing anyone that looked like me, doing the types of biking I was doing,” says mountain bike lover, Kailey Kornhauser.

The two women embark on a challenging ‘bike-packing’ trip. “To be a cyclist you just have to be a person riding a bike,” says Kornhauser. The campaign works to increase brand reputation but also customer engagement as it encourages people who may not have previously considered it, to try cycling and #RideShimano.

Dramatic music and close up shots of the bike shows the intricate mechanics created by Shimano as it enables the women to mountain bike through the forest.

The 13-minute film was shared on YouTube, with edited versions launching across social media. The video was directed by Zeppelin Zeerip and produced by Zac Ramras.