Case Study
Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo
Public Relations
From Photo Project to Groundbreaking Event
Ivan McClellan, a Portland-based photojournalist, created the Eight Seconds project in 2015 to document Black rodeo athletes. Stories by or about Ivan in ESPN, Elle, the Washington Post, Modern Huntsman and others paved the way for brand campaign assignments, a self-published book, and exhibits at the Portland Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, Harwood Museum, and others.
Ivan conceived of the first annual Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo as a way to expand upon the momentum of the project, increase awareness of Black rodeo, and bring a landmark event to the Black community in celebration of Juneteenth.
Project Goals
Establish awareness and enthusiasm for the Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo to promote community, drive news coverage, build sponsorship support, and increase attendance.
Images courtesy of Ivan McClellan, Eight Seconds
Strategy & promotion
Our first task was helping Ivan introduce the Eight Seconds Juneteenth rodeo to the world.
We established connections in government, sports, brand partners, and media to facilitate awareness, inspire participation, and create partnerships.
65
Pre-event Stories
34
Sponsors
Sold Out
the rodeo
The event itself was visually stunning, emotionally moving, and physically powerful. The sold-out crowd danced to beats by D.J. O.G.ONE and enjoyed food from Black Star Grill, Island Nectar Shave Ice, Rad Pop PDX, and Felton & Mary’s Artisan Foods. Athletes traveled from Calgary, Oklahoma, Compton, and elsewhere to perform and win. It was a party.
Behind the scenes, we worked to credential journalists, fulfill interview requests, and manage media members on-site over two days of programming. As a result, coverage and documentation of the event exceeded all expectations.
Event coverage
As our client, Ivan McClellan, put it: “We made the New York Times!”
The Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo was featured everywhere from the front page of The New York Times to countless social media feeds and everywhere between. The results were overwhelming, and it was an honor to support such a significant event.
90+
Total Stories
371M
Estimated Audience
2.1M
Estimated Views
