Backstage stories of a media launch…

Justine, our communication intern, is taking you to Terras De Bouro for our 2022 eMTB launch in Portugal.

What’s a media launch?

It’s a private event where new products (electric mountain bikes in this case) are introduced to a group of journalists from various French & foreign media. They get to test the bikes, attend a detailed presentation and can ask all their questions to write articles about the bikes afterwards.

PORTUGAL, HERE WE COME!

Here we are, in Casa Campos, our new headquarters for the next seven days. Our local tour guides, Joao & Carlos (www.weride.pt) are already here to welcome us (Along with cattle standing in front of the property), we walk in, and OMG… the view is stunning!

Once the gear has been offloaded, it’s time to try local specialties since everyone is starving. Joao takes us to a restaurant in Terras de Bouro, the nearest town.
On today’s menu: Pork ears, Portuguese cod, and plenty of other local dishes; The restaurant atmosphere is very warm: There’s a bachelorette party in the restaurant, and people even sing popular Portuguese songs.
After dinner, everyone is going back to our headquarters: tomorrow is a big day!

It’s Saturday, and the first journalists are scheduled to arrive later today, so we better get crackin’. Gauthier and Quentin are preparing the tents: one for bike maintenance and cleaning sessions, the other to adjust bike settings.

Meanwhile, Jeremie and Clément are joining Joao to go explore local trails and find the perfect spots to take pictures. Two rides are scheduled to test out the bikes: one in the evening during sunset and another one at sunrise. The names of the trails are setting the tone: Gravity, Syndicato, Roas and Primitivo :-{D

From Eucalyptus forests to huge rocks, lunar scenery, or even pine forests, the landscapes are extremely varied. Joao & Carlos explain that, in Fall, fires are usually lit up on purpose to later better control fires during summer.

Lunches and dinners take place at the O’Encanto restaurant owned by a very nice couple and situated in a nearby village. They give us a very warm welcome with local specialties: Codfish donuts, olive bread, and goat cheese. Everything is fresh and locally produced. If you like wine, you’ve got to try the local variety named “Douro”. This is pure gold!

Weather forecasts are still looking pretty stormy… it seems like even in Portugal, we still get our usual Vosgian weather… So we decide to introduce the new mountain bikes in the comfort of our living room, right next to the fireplace!

Quentin and Gauthier are preparing the bikes for three journalists based on the measurements provided by Clément (Heights and weights). Each bike needs to be ready to go ASAP to maximize riding time. A Trail or Game eMTB is carefully picked based on data such as the magazine name, the magazine’s audience, and the rider’s personal preferences.

In the living room, Clément presents all the technical specifications and novelties and shares both eMTB films. You can watch them on our YouTube channel. The journalists are attentive and jot down notes to fuel their future press articles while savoring Portuguese drinks, local ham, olives, and a local beer named “La Super Rock.”

Once the presentation is over, the journalists ask various technical questions and scrutinize the new bikes very closely.

On Monday, Manu & Greg, Moustache’s cofounders are joining us. Smiles are slowly taking over everyone’s face.

Back from the ride, everyone shares a last meal before the journalists are on their way out. The next group is scheduled to arrive 1,5 hours later. Just enough time to reset and prep the bikes as well as charge the batteries.

Starting Tuesday, the weather is slowly getting even worse. Rides now take place under full-on rain; We need to adapt but the pictures still look pretty damn good. It’s almost like we are in a totally different place all of a sudden.

Some journalists take the opportunity to shoot short videos for their own YouTube channels; It’s pretty cool to see the backstage life of press journalists and how they create their content.

On Wednesday, it’s raining cats and dogs: 21 mm of rain in a single day. Needless to say that riding during sunset seems unlikely… We decide to adjust the planning and stay in. People get to mingle and play pool together.

On Friday, after journalists have left, it’s time to pack. As the sun slightly comes back out, Jeremie and Clément get back to the trails to try and snap a few more pictures of the bikes for the journalists.

Everyone shares a last meal with Joao who was kind enough to share his best trails, riding spots, and restaurants during the last few days. The next day, we all hit the road again to get back to Moustache headquarters in the Vosges region in France.

It was awesome to be able to witness how press camps take place. It’s definitely a lot of planning with a TON of adjustments, but it’s mainly about making sure everyone is having an awesome time and leaves with a big smile.

We can’t wait for you to ride our new eMTBs and we hope you like them too 🙂

10 June 2022
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