THE ISLAND DECIDES x The North Face
Mars 2026
A cinematic trail story following an athlete, Maya, across the island of Gran Canaria, where performance becomes a dialogue with an unpredictable island and its elements.
A trail film activation by QUATORZE x The North Face at TransGranCanaria
Brand activation and editorial content project developed for The North Face to mark its return into the QUATORZE retail network.
Built around TransGranCanaria, the project combined a narrative short film, product storytelling, still imagery, digital distribution and a community extension in Marseille.
The activation positioned Summit Series in real race conditions through a premium, emotionally-led content format.
Client: QUATORZE RUNNING
Brand: THE NORTH FACE
Project: THE ISLAND DECIDES
Location: GRAN CANARIA, CANARY ISLANDS
Event: TRANSGRANCANARIA 2026
Format: Long-format documentary / brand storytelling film
Capture: Mathias Dargnat, Víctor Pérez Pelayo
Athlete: Maya Desenfant-Vergonjeanne
Role: Concept development, creative direction, narrative framing, production and campaign rollout
Context paragraph
To support The North Face’s return to the QUATORZE premium retail network, we wanted to create more than a product launch. The ambition was to build a meaningful brand story on one of trail running’s most legitimate stages: TransGranCanaria, where The North Face is a major event partner. The race offered the ideal territory to express the brand’s outdoor credibility while introducing Summit Series through a richer, more cinematic and more editorial form of activation.
Creative idea paragraph
Rather than producing a standard race recap, we developed THE ISLAND DECIDES as a film about dialogue, adaptation and surrender to the terrain. The story follows Maya on the Advanced course, crossing the island from north to south through rain, fog, volcanic rock, wind and darkness. The island became a character of its own, setting the terms, shifting the conditions, forcing a response. The film was designed to feel intimate, elemental and premium, with product integrated through real use rather than staged display.
Experience ecosystem blocks
Film
A narrative trail short film built around Maya’s crossing of Gran Canaria and her evolving relationship with the island, its rhythm and its conditions.
Product storytelling
Summit VECTIV Pro 3 and Summit Series Apparel featured in real race conditions, showing the product within movement, fatigue, weather and terrain rather than in a studio context.
Photography
A set of editorial and action images created around the race, combining landscape, effort, atmosphere and technical product details.
Digital distribution
Teaser edits, social rollout, YouTube full film launch, newsletter integration and editorial storytelling across QUATORZE owned channels.
Retail & community extension
The project extended into a Marseille in-store event combining film screening, Q&A with Maya and a Frioul Island trail testing session with The North Face product.
My role
Creative concept development
Narrative direction and storytelling
Brand activation strategy
Talent identification and casting direction
Creative lead with The North Face team
Director selection and production framing
Content architecture across film, photo, retail and digital
Copywriting and editorial direction
Launch planning across social, newsletter, web and in-store touchpoints
Event concept and experience design for the Marseille extension
Outputs list
Hero trail film
Teaser trailer
Social cutdowns / Reels
Editorial photo series
Film poster / key visual
Newsletter feature
Blog / editorial article
YouTube release
In-store screening event
Product testing experience
Retail and digital campaign assets
