Creative Director Eric Smith gripped his camera and snapped a couple quick shots before scrambling out of the way of a charging bison. It wasn't exactly what he’d signed up for when he helped select Free Range’s 2010 Youtopia grant winner.

The studio had asked: “What does the world need now?” From the safety of his California office, “Protection of Yellowstone National Park” had seemed like a reasonable answer. Now Eric was beginning to wonder if he was the one in need of protection.

Luckily, our team narrowly survived the trip to the Yellowstone wilderness. Eric, Kathi Bahr and Amy Hartzler returned with stunning imagery and footage, bringing the Park to life while enlisting tourists from New Jersey and Texas to Alabama and Amsterdam to help them build GYC’s campaign — a campaign designed to bring the public into the fight for the ecological health of this national treasure, which is under constant threat.

GYC had come to us with the germ of a brand they called RU4YNP? (Are you for Yellowstone National Park?) With a resounding Yes! we ran with the off-beat title, creating a suite of media — decals, apparel, a video and a custom Facebook page. And while the campaign is slated to launch early 2012, GYC is anticipating that it will revolutionize their work.

“We are completely enamored with their skills, delighted by their passion and patience, and thrilled with the final result,” GYC wrote of the Free Rangers they met. That kind of client response makes facing down a bison seem somehow worthwhile.