Remember the story about Aron Ralston, the mountaineer who had to amputate part of his right arm to survive a climbing accident?
Apparently he can joke about it now, as evidenced by his darkly comedic cameo in Columbia Sportswear’s new ad campaign.
“Engineered for Whatever,” which launches Monday, shows people being hunted by hungry vultures, chased by the Grim Reaper, bitten by a rattlesnake and tripped up by muddy potholes. And then there’s Ralston, who is shown with his remaining arm stuck under another massive boulder, and saying: “Ah, not again….” Superimposed over the image is: “This is Aron Ralston. Look him up.”
The irreverent ads mark the debut campaign created by the London-based adam&eveDDB, and are the first major brand platform relaunch for Columbia in a decade.
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Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and produced by Smuggler, the film is set to a thrash metal cover of Irving Berlin’s Blue Skies. And the message of the campaign is that Columbia makes product for “everything nature can throw at you,” says the narrator.
The multiseason campaign will feature stunt people dangling over crocodile-infested waters to test the strength of Columbia’s newest ROC Utility Pants, strapped to a snowplow to test the insulation properties of its Omni-Heat Infinity technology and rolling down a steep mountainside inside a giant snowball to ensure the puffy jackets remain warm in the most challenging conditions.
The ads feature a new look for the brand including a fresh typepace, logo, color palette and layout for their rollout across retail, social and digital platforms globally.
“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. “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.”
Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland, chief creative officers at adam&eveDDB, said: “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.”
“Since Day One, Columbia hasn’t cared about fitting in with everyone else. Over the years, the outdoor category became a sea of sameness,” said Joe Boyle, executive vice president and Columbia brand president. “Our new campaign brings us back to our roots, being unafraid to be different, and even a bit crazy. We’re going back to that irreverent, confident tone that helped put us on the map as a global brand.”
The campaign will be used in out-of-home advertising, digital and social content, retail buildouts, creative activations and partnerships.
Columbia was founded 87 years ago and has patented dozens of proprietary technologies to enhance performance for categories including hiking, fishing, skiing and running. That includes Omni-Heat, Omni-Shade and Omni-Freeze.
