US sportswear brand Columbia is looking to “peel back Mother Nature’s cliché facade” with the launch of its first major brand platform in a decade.
Crafted in collaboration with London-based creative agency Adam&EveDDB in its first work for the Portland firm, ‘Engineered to Whatever’ will showcase the true chaos of the great outdoors.
Centred around a 60-second hero clip Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and produced by Smuggler, the film features a “darkly comic” cameo by mountaineer Aron Ralston, whose accident inspired the 2011 blockbuster 127 Hours.
“Whether it’s wide sweeping landscapes, sunny weather, or cliché model photography, advertising in the outdoor category has often followed a tired playbook by depicting the outdoors as pristine and perfect,” said Matt Sutton, head of marketing at Columbia.
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“But at Columbia, our gear is built not just for a perfect day but for whatever mother nature throws at you. With ‘Engineered for Whatever’ we’re showing people that our products are made to handle the extreme and unpredictable, with a healthy dose of humor and joy. By embracing the real and unexpected sides of adventure, we’re staying true to our legacy and charting a distinct and memorable path for our brand going forward.”
Featuring a refreshed visual identity for Columbia Sportswear, including a new typeface, logo lock-up, colour palette and layout system, the new platform will run across out-of-home, digital and social media globally.
Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland, chief creative officers at Adam&EveDDB London added: “With its fresh and visceral ‘Engineered for Whatever’ brand platform, Columbia Sportswear is bringing the brutal side of the outdoors to life, to prove their gear can handle it all.
“The repositioning resurrects the brand’s irreverence and verve and shows its audience that they can trust Columbia’s apparel and enjoy the great outdoors no matter what (mis) adventures they get up to.”
