Surfers are always in search of the perfect wave. To make it easier, Rip Curl launched the first-ever real-time wave watch. The wearable device allows the user to track and share surf conditions and make that data available to the wider surfer community.
Objective and Context:
Since 1969 Rip Curl has been creating innovative products to aid surfers in their search for the perfect wave. As a brand, they are synonymous with the sport. The insight that shaped this idea was that surfers spend most of their lives waiting for the planets to align for that perfect wave, and when they do, the moment is over almost as soon as it began.
The brand set out to change this, capturing the moment in a tangible, re-livable, and sharable platform that could live beyond the waves.
Target Audience:
Surfers of all ages, male and female, from every corner of the globe.
Creative Strategy:
To give surfers something that would transform the way they interacted with the ocean and each other, the brand launched a wave-detecting wearable device that was used on the arms of pro surfers to show the watching, digitally-savvy global surf community what was happening in surf areas around the world. So far only 300 selected surfers have it, and they are generating huge awareness and desire for the product.
Mobile Execution:
The Rip Curl Search platform is a mobile and desktop app that syncs with the GPS search watch, capturing the moment in a tangible, re-livable, and sharable platform that lives beyond the waves, revolutionizing the way surfers interact with the ocean. The watch not only captures the length and height of a wave, but it also records the wave’s GPS positioning and users have the ability to record a video of their surf. This lets users know where the best surf is happening in real time.
All data recorded anywhere in the world is stored and displayed, creating a connected surfing community unified by their love of surfing and the desire to challenge themselves and their friends to do better next time.
The overall campaign budget is approximately AU$1million, of which around 70 percent is being spent on mobile (iOS and mobile web).
Pre-app, Rip Curl was in a pretty healthy position in a declining marketplace. It’s too early to accurately report, but anecdotal evidence, pre-sales, and requests from pros under sponsorship from competing brands suggest that the watch will fly off the shelves when it hits the stores.
At time of writing, Rip Curl has already received 30,000 pre-order sales.
Millions of surfers around the world have already started talking about the ability to finally track, monitor, and learn how to improve their surfing performance, all of which is cementing Rip Curl as the No. 1 surf brand on the planet.
Watches will be in store in early September and the free app can be downloaded now for users to track the pros.
