On March 7th, 2012, Nature Valley granola bars launched Trail View – a first-of-its-kind Street View experience on hiking trails in the US national parks.Nature Valley has been a supporter of the US national parks throughout their history, and 3 years ago, they began their 'Preserve the Parks' programme to support physical restoration projects, and organise fundraising efforts. This year, they asked us to think of new ways to tackle the challenge of national park preservation on a larger scale and help them engage with their customers in an authentic, meaningful way.

The resulting site was built on a heavily customised version of the Google Maps API, creating an experience that is equal parts map utility, educational tool and eye candy. Each park was given its own landing page with a parallax effect to help users discover more parks. Topographic map data provided the basis for a unique look for the overhead map-view, as well as another informational tool within the trails. High-res panoramic photography was implemented in landing-page environments, and at scenic points along notable trails. 400+ informational call-outs were also embedded along trails using 3D spatial mapping.

The initial launch on March 7th created a positive media buzz unlike anything Nature Valley had ever seen. Without a single dollar of paid media, Trail View generated over 30m earned media impressions to date. Within 2 weeks the site had generated more than 100,000 unique visits, and 300,000 page views. Most importantly, Nature Valley was being saluted for inspiring a new generation of nature-lovers, creating a previously unseen utility, and preserving the parks digitally for all time. Pretty good for a granola bar.