Columbia Sportswear’s Irreverent Brand Reboot Embraces The Chaos of th…

“Younger audiences want less serious takes on how products benefit them, not overly curated or pristine,”  Sutton said. “They want [to see] real, gritty challenges and adventures, rather than a model going up a sunny hill on a hike.” 

Columbia has “significantly increased” its media investment for this campaign, said Sutton. It will launch in the U.S. today (Aug. 4) and will run for multiple seasons across TV, online video, display, audio and podcasts, out-of-home, and social media. Global activity is also planned. 

The campaign is the start of a long-term strategy and partnership with adam&eveDDB, which won Columbia’s ad business after a pitch last year, Sutton said. 

Later this month, Columbia will reveal new brand ambassadors and celebrities that resonate with younger people. 

Returning to Irreverent Roots

When seeking a new agency, Columbia set a goal to “be immediately different from the past but curiously familiar,” Sutton recalled. “We were looking for someone to help us get back to our roots.”

For this new work, adam&eve/DDB drew inspiration from Columbia’s advertising of the 1980s and ‘90s, said Antony Nelson, the agency’s chief creative officer. During that era, company founder Gert Boyle—nicknamed “one tough mother”—fronted its advertising with humorous product tests, including sending her son through a car wash. 

In addition to the hero ad, Columbia is releasing three product test films that “bring the products to life in an irreverent way,” said Nelson. For example, in one, a woman tests the omni-heat jacket by rolling down a hill inside a giant snowball.

The shoot across Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia was a real test of Columbia’s products and proved its ethos on unpredictability of the outdoors, Nelson said. The crew had to relocate before filming because of a possible avalanche.

There were also “lots of snakes,” he added.