Dark Mode
Dark mode was Strava’s most requested feature for years, and users asked for it under every announcement until it effectively became a meme. Strava was late, so I came up with a way to own it: a mean tweets video starring its CEO, using humor and accountability. It was a hit on social and the most-talked about moment at Camp Strava (an in-person press event with 300+ attendees), where dark mode was officially launched.
Year: 2024
Role: Concept + scriptwriting
With: Khoi Phan (ECD), Matt Lucier (film lead), Anton Schulz (brand design), Katrina Lofaro (producer)
The launch film
The hero film launched in two places at once: on screen at Camp Strava and on Strava’s social channels. I concepted it and wrote the script, and the idea was to let the community do the joking while the CEO took the hits. Thankfully, he was a great sport.
The comms
This was a big moment. The community had wanted dark mode for years, so the comms matched their excitement: it’s finally here! But a dark mode launch in 2024 wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, so the comms were self-aware (and a little self-deprecating) about that too. The balance struck the right chord, built goodwill with the community, and was one of the biggest brand moments of the year. It also gave Strava’s new CEO a warm welcome right from the start.
