Overview

This project took us to Western States in Northern California to the peaks of Chamonix, France. The journey of HOKA’s founders, Nico Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, is written in miles, innovation, and a vision that changed running forever. HOKA tapped us to produce a Humans of HOKA short documentary featuring founders Nico Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard. The goal was to tell the origin story through their personal journeys, showcasing the values, experiences, and vision that shaped HOKA into the brand it is today. While primarily a production role, we also contributed to storytelling and concept development, conducting pre-interviews and working closely with the HOKA team to align the narrative with their brand ethos.

Challenges & Approach

This was an international, multi-location production spanning the Western States 100 in California, Santa Barbara and internationally in Chamonix, and the south of France. We filmed with both founders across these locations while managing feedback from multiple external stakeholders. Logistically, the challenge was to keep the story cohesive despite shooting in different countries and under varying conditions. Our producing approach emphasized clear communication, prioritizing feedback, and structuring the shoot plan to balance storytelling needs with logistical constraints. Creatively, we focused on tone and narrative flow, guiding the client on how to structure the founders’ histories into an engaging, emotionally resonant piece.

The Result

We delivered two hero videos, social cutdowns, custom thumbnails, and a selection of still photography featuring the founders. The videos collectively received over 80,000 views on Youtube and were well-received internally by the HOKA team. The pieces served as a high-quality brand storytelling asset that reinforced HOKA’s commitment to authentic, values-driven narratives.