Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo

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.

  
      Strategy & Consulting
    
      Media Relations
    
      Awareness & Engagement

We were tasked with establishing 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

Introducing 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.

35 Pre-Event Stories
34 Sponsors
Sold Out

On-site support and media management

The event itself was visually stunning and emotionally moving. Athletes traveled from Calgary, Oklahoma, Compton, and elsewhere to perform and win. The sold out crowd enjoyed local food & beverages, live music, and special programming throughout the concourse. 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.

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.