Environmental Storytelling, Brand Expansion & Women’s Empowerment
Role
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND NARRATIVE ARCHITECTURE CREATIVE DIRECTION AND PRODUCTION OVERSIGHT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COLLABORATION VISUAL STORYTELLING STRATEGY UGC NARRATIVE INTEGRATION CAMPAIGN AND DIGITAL ADAPTATION GUIDANCE
Untamed was developed as part of Changing Tides’ expansion into Oʻahu, using environmental storytelling as a vehicle for both community trust-building and brand positioning in a new geographic region.
The Challenge
Introduce Changing Tides into a new market while building authentic community trust, differentiating the brand within a saturated surf culture landscape, and expanding its storytelling in a way that felt both locally grounded and globally relevant.
Strategic Approach
A photo and storytelling series exploring women’s empowerment through connection to the natural world, examining the relationship between identity, environment, and creative expression. Created in collaboration with photographer Bryanna Bradley, the series was captured across Oʻahu’s North Shore and West Side, featuring professional surfers, freedivers, and ocean-minded creatives.
The project was guided by a central question: What happens when women are photographed in the places they feel most themselves, free from societal expectations of how their bodies should look or perform? From a strategic perspective, this reframed empowerment storytelling away from performance-driven imagery and toward embodiment, presence, and environmental integration.
As part of the campaign, I brought on Changing Tides ambassador and professional big wave surfer Katie McConnell, incorporating athlete-driven storytelling to deepen community credibility and extend the series’ reach within the broader surf ecosystem.
To expand beyond a localized campaign, I integrated global community participation by collecting UGC video submissions from Changing Tides’ broader network. This evolved the series into a multi-voice storytelling initiative, connecting local activation with global community identity.
Across production, I led narrative development and creative direction, ensuring the work remained culturally sensitive, community-centered, and aligned with brand values. Natural elements—wind, water, light, and movement—were treated as active collaborators in shaping the visual language, reinforcing the connection between environment and identity.
Impact
Supported brand expansion into Oʻahu through relationship-driven community presence.
Expanded the campaign from a regional activation into a global community narrative.
Strengthened emotional depth and authenticity of empowerment storytelling.
Established a repeatable visual and narrative framework for future geographic initiatives.
Positioned environmental storytelling as a strategic growth tool rather than a standalone creative campaign.
The series received regional media coverage highlighting its exploration of women’s empowerment, creativity, and connection to the ocean.
Press
The Untamed series received regional media coverage highlighting its exploration of women’s empowerment, creativity, and connection to the ocean.Featured in Ranch & Coast Magazine, San Diego Magazine, and Daybreak Magazine, the project helped bring the conversation around environmental storytelling and women’s representation in surf culture to a broader audience.
