This month in advertising and more...

 The North Face- Freeskier November 2011

 Patagonia- Alpinist November 2011

 REI- Backpacker Gear Guide

REI- Outside November 2011

 Salomon- Freeskier November 2011

For Reference: September and October creative below:

 Marmot- Rock and Ice September 2011

 Merrell- Backpacker September 2011

Merrell- Outside October 2011

 Keen- Outside October 2011

 The North Face- Alpinist Autumn 2011

The North Face- Freeskier October 2011

REI- Snowboarding Buyers Guide

The North Face, Tetons and TV

In the past couple of weeks we have seen The North Face "Test on Humans", go "Beyond Boundaries" to teach valuable safety lessons and now release their new broadcast spot on prime time television.  While we can assume that a good amount of dollars went into the production of the spot, The North Face made sure to keep it authentic by using all North Face athletes to star, produce and edit.

The behind the scenes of the :30 commercial features the photographer, the talent, director and editor (all North Face athletes) collaborating with Camp4Collective productions as they prepare for shoot day. With clips leading up to, during and post shoot, the behind the scenes is almost most intriguing than the spot itself.




The spot itself condenses an expedition up the Teton in 30 seconds for TV. The ascent, the peak and the descent via skis by veteran North Face athlete Hilaree O'Neill.




Some interesting soundbites from the Behind the Scenes:

"...making something that someone in the core audience will look at and say 'wow that's the real deal'  I appreciate that on an athletic level and story telling level" -Renan Ozturk, Editor

"I love the fact that we can develop a tv commercial that airs for millions of people but really do it in a way that feels authentic for us as skiers and climbers" -Landon Bassett, Brand Manager for Outdoors

"Not very many companies would give up the concepting, writing, producing and directing and shooting and editing to a few of their professional athletes and that's exactly what The North Face did which says a lot about The North Face's commitment to building a brand that is authentic" -Jimmy Chin, Director

North Face Know Boundaries

The North Face might be "testing on humans," but they are also educating through their campaign "Know Boundaries" which launched at the end of October. The initiative was created to provide insight on skills, training and knowledge for safe backcountry travel.

The landing page features all five episodes, each addressing a different aspect of your trek on the mountain: http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/exploration/know-boundaries/ 
Also featured on The North Face homepage (see below).

The videos feature athletes, experts and guides commenting on the significance of responsibility on the mountain. Valuable knowledge on transceivers, avalanches and you're told all about the proper gear, North Face of course.

Check out episode one here:


Powder Magazine's blog featured all episodes as they were released week over week:
October 14th: http://www.powdermag.com/stories/know-boundaries-1/
October 20th: http://www.powdermag.com/stories/know-boundaries-2/
October 26th: http://www.powdermag.com/stories/know-boundaries-3/
October 28th: http://www.powdermag.com/stories/know-boundaries-4/
November 2nd: http://www.powdermag.com/stories/know-boundaries-5/

The videos were produced by Teton Gravity Research. Also new this fall is a "Snow Safety" checklist inner label that appears on select Summit Series and Cryptic snow sports gear. The label reminds what to bring and how to prepare for the backcountry through a series of icons. Icons include, map or compass, food and water, first aid kit, shovel, probe, fire, beacon, flashlight etc.

Tents, Animals and New York

I have to thank my coworkers for providing me separately with great stories, both coincidentally relating to tents.

BIVOUAC NYC
For any outdoor enthusiast, the thought of living in New York is probably one that doesn't come often due to the concrete jungle versus the lush mountainside. Yet, in September, it was no surprise to look up at the rooftops of New York's high rises and find glowing tents peeking through the skyline.

Thomas Stevevenson, an artist in Brooklyn, New York decided to make the most of underutilized rooftop space and create a camp site where you could disconnect from technology and the loud, fast paced life of the city. The space is made to be easy to move from rooftop to rooftop with a quick set up of just two hours.

Looks like the campsite will be traveling to other cities in the next year and will be in our hometown of San Francisco in the Spring! Who's in?? To find out more or sign up, visit the site: http://www.bivouacnyc.com/index.php/.

QUECHUA TENTS
Have to post this spot from Quechua tents, based in the Alpes region of Eastern France that pulls at your heart strings with it's "We all need warmth" tagline. See the spot here:

Quechua - We all need warmth from Hiking on the moon TV on Vimeo.

You can also see the Behind the Scenes of the video here:




Soundtrack created by Paris music house Chut on Vous Ecoute.

iPatagonia

For those who own iPads, Patagonia has launched their new iPad application "Patagonia Snow"

The application features:

• Videos of Patagonia Snow ambassadors skiing and snowboarding the most challenging courses
• Behind the scenes footage of new movie, Solitaire and the 2-year journey into the mountains of the South American high desert
• Patagonia's suggestions for layering systems in different winter weather conditions
• In-depth look at product design and athlete testimonials
• New 2011 Patagonia Shells; ski/snowboarding outerwear
• Link to patagonia.com to shop

The app can be found for free on the iTunes store. While success has yet to be determined since the app has only been live a couple of days, we can be sure that the application will make the most of the iPad's high resolution graphics to feature their photography. 

We Test On Humans

It seems like The North Face is switching it up with a new campaign this winter.

"We test on humans" features North Face's global team of athletes testing their latest gear on expeditions.

Print ads include CTA to www.northface.com/tested which outlines NF's research, design and development process. The partnership is between the designers in the NF lab and North Face athletes who provide "real-world" feedback through athlete input sessions and gear evaluations.

Check out the video on the landing page that outlines it all:




See the spread in the front inside cover of Backpacker Gear Guide this month:

Currently on the NF Facebook, they are also featuring a teaser they created around their testing in Denali.

Another barefoot contender

With barefoot running rising in popularity, more sportswear brands are tapping into the minimalist footwear category.

Adidas is the latest contender with the adiPURE Trainer releasing next month in November 2011. But don't put them on and hit the trails quite yet, the trainer puts a twist on the minimalist running shoe and is positioned more for a gym/training setting. It's the "first barefoot training shoe designed specifically for the gym."

The adiPURE Trainer is meant to provide balance and agility while you work out.
Check out Hypebeast's article for the full story http://hypebeast.com/2011/08/adidas-adipure-trainer/