THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE

The North Face heritage is built on expeditions. That positioning was beginning to be challenged by new entries into the expedition category by brands with bigger budgets.

The task was to take The North Face expedition program to the next level to expand awareness and appeal of the brand while remaining authentic to the core.

THE IDEA

‘The North Face Expeditions’ was a five-part TV series,hosted by Sting, that followed the world’s premier outdoor adventurers as they explored the farthest reaches of our planet to find their place in history.

Created exclusively for The North Face, the series was designed to bring to life the brand positioning – Never Stop Exploring. 

From tragedy to triumph, mountaineer Pete Athans summits Everest for a record 11th time and the untimely death of Alex Lowe by an avalanche, the series chronicled five historic expeditions featuring The North Face athletes, giving viewers an inside look at the passion, the determination, and the risk that it takes to achieve the ultimate mountaineering prize.

Content from the series was utilized across all marketing efforts: print ads to in-store videos.

‘The North Face Expeditions’ originally aired on NBC as part of their Sunday afternoon sports programming. The series re-aired on OLN and was released on DVD.

PROGRAM ELEMENTS

1. • 5 episode TV series airing on NBC Sports
   

2. • Hosted by Sting
   

3. • Sold as The North Face Expeditions DVD series
   

4. • Bonus content on each DVD demonstrates the brand’s commitment to exploration
   

5. • Content from the TV series is reshaped and used as advertising and marketing assets