We love some of the amazing new ways that car manufacturers showcase their cars these days and the virtual world has created a whole new breed of ‘advertising’ that often goes beyond what we have seen in traditional TV advertising. One of these is the latest video viral that was created to mark the launch of the new Peugeot 2008 Crossover.
Titled ‘Carkour’ the video showcases the talents not only of this funky new addition to the showroom but also of a pair of incredible freerunners who put the car through their paces. We wanted to find out more about what went on behind the scenes so we got the lowdown and even managed to catch up with Tim Shieff, one of the stars of the film.
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The Peugeot 2008 is a crossover and for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term it is basically a cross between an estate, a 4 x 4 and a people mover all in one. The advertising campaign for the car encourages viewers to ‘See the City in a Different Light’ and so the marketeers behind the brand devised a cunning plan to combine the car with some exciting skills of two freerunners who of course, are well known for seeing the city in a different way. The result was the Carkour video that over 25,000 viewers have already enjoyed.
Starring in the video are Tim Shieff and Katie McDonnell who are UK based freerunners. Tim, from Derby, is actually regarded as the world’s most successful freerunner due to his incredible success in international competitions. He was winner of the 2009 Barclaycard Freerunning Championships as well as MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge. He began his freerunning career at the age of around 16 when he saw a documentary on Channel 4 about the sport. He has never looked back since, although he regularly looks upside down, sideways or from a great height in some amazing spaces. His co-freerunner in the film is Katie McDonnell who has been participating in the sport just three years but is already making a name for herself as a leading female athlete.
It’s not the first time that Tim has used cars in his work. He’s used his own car and also filmed on an old Cadillac in LA in ‘Riding with a Ghost’ which he believes could have inspired the Peugeot team’s concept. Tim and co-star Katie practiced for a day prior to filming and although Peugeot were reluctant to allow practice with brand new Peugeot 2008s, they gave in in the end.
“Ha I practiced on a real car though they were reluctant at first. All cars are different dimensions and what I do is so precise and intricate that I strongly recommended they let me use it so I could be sure of the tricks I could do on the day.”
The filming of the Carkour video was no low key affair, although it was filmed in the unglamorous spot of Deptford. A crew of over 20 spent the day with Tim and Katie capturing their sporting prowess as they showed off their skills with the help of the Peugeot 2008. Though Tim confirms that he has never broken any bones during his freerunning and parkour career, on the day it was one of the cars that was damaged. During a rather mind-blowing backflip by Tim on the roof of the car, the sunroof broke. Not something Peugeot would recommend 2008 owners try at home – and certainly not covered by the warranty! Tim explains;
“ We got near the end of the rehearsal day and I wanted to push it a little more to find the limits of what I could do with this car and I guess that was the right amount. It’s important if you want to deliver the best content to a client you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette right?”
We loved this unique way of showing off the best of the Peugeot 2008 crossover but there is plenty going on inside the car as well to shout about with its generous boot and luxurious cabin as well as seats that fold flat with the touch of a button. It’s definitely one to watch.
