Have you seen the ads for Columbia Sportswear?
I’ll tell you, before the recent ad campaign that features ma Boyle and her son Tim (CEO and President of Columbia respectively), I thought of Columbia as a conservative, unimaginative sportswear retailer.
Not anymore!
Check out one of the ads featuring Gert Boyle:
Rough, tough, rugged and a little raw. That’s what the message conveys about their product. If you start noticing some of the other ads you’ll see the message is consistent.
But here’s the part I love the most…
Her brilliant ad team discovered that what set Columbia apart wasn’t how their product was engineered…it was the 80-something, fiesty woman at the helm! And, their “tested tough” campaigns (while they still speak to the product) has not only breathed new life into Columbia but Gert herself emodies the Columbia message; tough, no-nonsense, You don’t get more brand consistent than that!
As if that weren’t enough, they’ve also “engineered” a community building campaign through their Think You’re Tough Enough: Tell Us Your Story campaign. You’ve got to check this out!
While some may turn their noses up at this fiesty and somewhat provacative approach, it’s memorable, fresh, authentic and a fantastic example of the Defier position I teach in my Brand by Design program.
Go Gert you tough MavHERick!!
Until next time…
Love and thanks,
Liz
Tags: brand, branding, branding maven, columbia sportswear, gert boyle, liz pabon, mavherick, pabone, tested tough video
