The Music for Free project was a groundbreaking multichannel marketing campaign designed to engage a wide variety of audiences through both online and offline marketing channels. With a blend of creativity, strategic planning, and a focus on grassroots outreach, this campaign became a powerful tool to raise awareness, inspire exploration, and promote the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR).
What is the Music for Free Project?
Launched in the summer of 2018, Music for Free was the brainchild of musician and poet Ben Weaver, in collaboration with filmmaker Keenan DesPlanques. Together, they embarked on an epic journey along the GDMBR—riding from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Carrying instruments and camera gear, they performed 16 scheduled shows, with spontaneous performances added along the way, as they brought music, poetry, and storytelling to diverse audiences along the route. The project marked the 20th anniversary of the GDMBR and celebrated the release of its new digital and print maps.
How It All Started
In the fall of 2017, Ben Weaver reached out to Lisa McKinney, then Communication Director at Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), with a simple request: access to the new GDMBR maps in exchange for a few blog posts. However, this conversation sparked something bigger. Lisa recognized the opportunity to tie Ben’s artistic vision to ACA’s goals of promoting the GDMBR’s anniversary and new maps rollout, though there was one major obstacle—there was no budget or staff time to dedicate to the project.
Undeterred, Lisa spent months pitching Music for Free and successfully raised the necessary funding through partnerships within the cycling industry and support from a key donor. The end result? A fully-funded documentary film and a summer music tour that blended adventure cycling, storytelling, and art.
Campaign Success and Impact
The Music for Free tour was not just about music and biking; it was a strategic marketing campaign that reached thousands. A mix of influencer marketing, social media coordination, earned media, and in-person connections helped drive engagement organically—without any paid media. The campaign generated over 9 million media impressions and boosted sales of the GDMBR maps and branded merchandise.
Music for Free didn’t stop with the summer tour. The project lives on, with the feature-length documentary is available for free. You can watch it [here] and check out the 3-minute trailer above.
The Music for Free campaign serves as a great example of how creative thinking, partnership building, and multichannel marketing can transform an idea into a movement, inspiring people from all walks of life to connect with nature, art, and adventure.
Press:
Bikepackers: Catch 15 Free Concerts This Summer on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Ben Weaver Announces 15 Concerts Along The Great Divide MTB Route | bikepacking.com
Music For Free on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route | salsacycles.com
Music For Free on the Great Divide MTB Route with Ben Weaver | exploreminnesota.com