Diamond Cross Ranch Creative Campaign Submission
Turning a one-minute video into a strategic self-branding application piece.
The Opportunity
When Diamond Cross Ranch and Wrangler announced their Horse Girls Wanted model search, tens of thousands of people flooded the comments with nominations.
Rather than relying on a just a tag like everyone else and hoping it would be noticed, I asked myself one question:
"What could I create in the next few hours that would make my one applicant impossible to overlook?"
My Strategy
Instead of simply introducing my sister, I wanted to create something that accomplished three goals at once.
1. Grab Attention
Thousands of people were already tagged.
Very few , if any, would have a custom video introducing them.
2. Show, Don't Tell
Rather than writing in the comments,
"She's a real horse girl..."
I wanted them to really see it.
Her personality.
Her confidence on camera.
Her connection to the western lifestyle.
The video doubled as both an intro & an informal screen test.
3. Speak Their Language
I built nearly every scene around the wording used in Diamond Cross Ranch's own announcement.
Instead of inventing entirely new messaging, I reinforced theirs.
Some examples:
"Horse Girls Wanted"
"Born & Raised in Abilene, Texas"
"A horse girl through & through"
"She loves the outdoors..."
"Looks good in denim & cowboy boots."
"A genuine country girl."
I also leaned into the trending "She's from Texas..." lyric from Ella Langley, knowing it was culturally recognizable within the audience they were trying to reach.
My Creative Thought Process
This wasn't about making the fanciest video.
It was about creating something that felt like it already belonged to the Diamond Cross Ranch & Bryce Thompson Photography brand.
Everything, from the typography to the pacing to the captions I chose, was designed to feel like a natural extension of the content they booth already post. My goal was to feel like something they could picture about sharing themselves including my sister.
The entire project came together in one day. After seeing Diamond Cross Ranch's model call, I immediately started thinking of a way to do something beyond the standard nomination. I called my sister, convinced her to get to town 45 minutes early so I could style her and film while she was in town, then spent the rest of the night editing polishing the final piece. Within just a few hours, the idea had gone from a conversation to a completed campaign submitted before the deadline.
One thing I believe is that it never hurts to be the person willing to do a little more. Whether I'm pitching an idea, applying for an opportunity, or telling someone's story, I'm always looking for a way to go beyond the expected. Most people tagged a name in the comments, I saw an opportunity to create something memorable. Even if it doesn't always lead to a "yes," I'd rather know I put my very best foot forward than wonder if I could have done more.