Giants Cup Trail

17 Feb

Time: 2019 - 2021
Project: Brand repositioning, website, email marketing, social media, event collateral, event comms
Impact: Successfully repositioned the event from an elite, camping-based stage race into a boutique, premium trail experience, attracting a broader, more established audience.

The Giant’s Cup Trail Run is a boutique, two-day trail event in Underberg, set against the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg. By the time I joined the project in 2019, the event was in the middle of an identity shift.

Historically, the race was known for its small but fiercely competitive elite field, with runners camping outdoors between stages. Over the years, it had evolved into a more premium offering: participants now stayed at the Premier Resort Sani Pass, complete with buffet breakfasts, dinners, mountain views, and champagne toasts. The crowd was slightly older, less elite, and more interested in the overall experience than in chasing podiums. The race also introduced a hiking race category, in addition to trail running.

This transition left the brand in a difficult space: it had lost clarity on who it was for. The original mailing list wasn’t the right audience anymore, entries were sluggish, and the event’s visual identity still leaned on its “competitive” roots rather than its new, boutique character.

My role was to reposition the brand to match this evolution.

WHAT I DID

Brand Refresh: Worked with a designer to create a softer, more polished look and feel. We moved away from aggressive tones and introduced a calmer palette of blues and greys, paired with visuals that conveyed peace, mountain beauty, and an elevated weekend away.
Visual Cohesion: Rebranded all collateral (race numbers, medals, ribbons, wristbands, archways, signage) to speak a common design language. Properly briefed photographers to align imagery with the refreshed style.
Website + Comms: Rebuilt the dated WordPress site into a modern Squarespace website, and redesigned newsletters to feel fresh, clear, and inviting.
Event Experience: Helped shape the overall race weekend to reflect the brand identity, from champagne and cheese platters post-stage to goodie bags featuring premium partners like The North Face.
Digital Marketing: Managed social media, paid campaigns, email marketing, and runner communications. Delivered coverage during the race and built momentum for entries across multiple years.

After two years, the event had a clear identity again: we moved it from a stage race, to a boutique trail running experience. I handed it over in 2021 with a strong visual foundation, an engaged community, and a polished brand ready for the next chapter.