On June 6, the mountains came to Manhattan. History built a forest in the middle of Union Square to promote the second-season premiere of its television show, Mountain Men. The idea was to show city dwellers what living in the wild is like by recreating real destinations from the show such as the Yaak Valley and Teton Mountain Range. The promotion was open to the public, and visitors were able to get a glimpse into what the men on the reality show experience every day.
"History's Mountain Men series brings the wilderness into viewers' homes, along with the men who choose to live in it—a unique lifestyle choice that few in today's world can comprehend," said Samantha Maltin, History's senior vice president of marketing. "History created an authentic experience that brought this way of life to the next level—where consumers could get a taste and feel for what it means to ‘live for a living’ in the heart of New York City."
The event set up started at 9 p.m. the night before, and production lasted about 12 hours. Although it was unnecessary on the sunny day, the production team at the Michael Alan Group had a rain plan in place, which included putting the entire space under a clear canopy.
Visitors to the promo could walk along the faux dirt trail and see real forest trees, bows and arrows, and a campsite with a bonfire pit. The promotion included rock-climbing walls, boot camp and survival demonstrations by Appalachian Mountain Group, and fly-fishing tips. In the center of it all was the Turtle Island stage, featuring live music performances from various local artists. To end the trek, Kind Snacks and Head & Shoulders were on site to provide free granola bars and shampoo samples.
