Ad of the Day | In Good Taste Hypes the Hike for Columbia Sportswear's "Get Hiked!" Campaign

Mar. 19, 2024

InGoodTaste, the creative consultancy in collaboration with Columbia Sportswear, is kicking off their spring campaign for Columbia’s new hiking collection, "Get Hiked!" The campaign aims to revolutionize the more somber, hyper-romanticized nature of the way most brands go to market in promoting their hiking gear and apparel, while inspiring people to embrace the vibrant energy and excitement of hiking.

Traditionally, the outdoor industry has depicted hiking as a more restrained experience, one that serves as a low-stakes entry-point into the great outdoors. InGoodTaste recognized the need to break away from this beige and monotonous portrayal of hiking in order to tap into the genuine enthusiasm and awe that people experience when getting out on the trails. Get Hiked! brings together the electric energy felt when out on a trail and the memories that sustain hikers in between.

InGoodTaste Chief Creative Jason Herkert said:

"When it comes to outdoor hiking brands, we're always told 'go outside', it's awesome out here. Brands show us beautifully romantic images, yet they make us reconsider hiking because it looks incredibly hard and intimidating. One of the ways to create brand distinction, to get more people to hike without hesitation is to reimagine the feeling hiking provides. We're bringing a new voice to hiking, one that encourages outdoor enthusiasts to 'GET HIKED!'"

 

Scott Trepanier, VP of Marketing at Columbia said:

"Columbia is about representing the passions of every one of our customers. In Get Hiked!, we’re hyping the hike and harnessing the infectious energy experienced while traversing trails. Through the campaign and the products it celebrates, we want to motivate people to seek out their own outdoor escapades and keep the memories alive of their favorite days out on a trail."

 

In collaboration with director Kelly Hammond, InGoodTaste’s team produced the content wearing Konos Mids, stretching over four days, 12+ miles of trail, 2500 total feet of elevation, almost a half million steps, and zero blisters. To capture the authentic ‘hype’ so important to this campaign, hikers were encouraged to replay their best day out on a trail. With this brief, hikers of all abilities are seen scrambling over rocks, pushing themselves out of breath, jumping in mountain rivers to cool down, and stopping for a minute together to take it all in. The imagery conveys the down-to-earth excitement that hiking brings, while the film’s overlaid track ties it all together ‘quit acting like you’re too cool, let’s just be fools”.  

"Get Hiked!" will be rolled out globally through various channels, including onsite, social media, in-store, and experiential activations. The campaign will encouraging audiences to share their own hiking experiences and join the conversation online using the hashtag #GetHiked.