Steamboat Ski Resort Tap into More Cowboy Poetry for 'The Steamboat Way' Campaign

Fortnight Collective is adding a new round of creative to 'The Steamboat Way,' its campaign for Steamboat Ski Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The ads use cowboy poetry to evoke the parallels between winter sports and the rugged Wild West to capture Steamboat’s unique pioneering culture. The second-year creative coincides with 'Full Steam Ahead,' Steamboat’s three-year, $220 million investment project that built out exciting new amenities and expanded expert terrain.

Cowboy poetry is a literary style rooted in ranching culture that dates back to the 1800s, and the campaign uses it to blend Western hospitality with the thrills, freedom and adventure of riding the slopes. Once again, Fortnight collaborated with cowboy poet Randy Rieman on verses that serve as the ads’ scripts. As they are recited, the screen switches between scenes of horses in open fields and resort activities to show that traits such as individualism, camaraderie, and the desire to brave new territory associated with the cowboy lifestyle align perfectly with the values of those who are passionate about winter sports.

The objective is to increase visits by reclaiming Steamboat’s top-of-mind brand awareness and build upon the resort’s legacy as a go-to destination for skiers, snowboarders and vacationers. The ads include 'New Territory,' 'Family Inheritance,' 'Hospitality' and 'The Colt.' 

“You yearn for a chance to blaze a trail others name after you,” Randy says. “New Territory” begins as a snowboarder takes on an intimidating mountain, a ride that results in an airborne trajectory and a wipeout in the soft powder. Rieman goes on to explain that this yearning is not so much for the glory or fame, it’s “for joy in the fresh and the new.”

The work will run nationally on video, social, and digital through April 16th, 2024. Channels include CTV, YouTube, cinema (ski movie premieres), social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), and programmatic. There are seven spots in total, with :15s and :30s of three ads plus an additional :30 for promotional work. Fortnight won the Steamboat account in 2022 and is the resort’s agency of record.

“This work humbly represents the true spirit of Steamboat,” marketing director Morgan Bast said. “Unlike any other traditional ski resort advertising, our use of Cowboy Poetry brings a breath of fresh air to these channels.” 

“Full Steam Ahead,” the three-year investment project, makes Steamboat the second-largest resort in Colorado, with the longest and fastest 10-person gondola, an innovative learning space, and a modern, beautiful base area.