The North Face : Longer Days

The North Face identified that in spring/summer consumers were turning to other brands for activity wear and equipment due to the common perception that The North Face are a winter season brand only.

The requirement :: Build awareness for The North Face spring/summer products and be more relevant to a consumer audience ranging from hardcore achievers to a mass audience, to be the one dominant pan-European outdoors brand.

Campaign overview :: In order to highlight the return of spring/summer and create a storytelling link to The North Face trail running, Summit Series, hiking and climbing collections, I explored the consumer's emotional response to seasonal change. Spring is a time of anticipation – a fresh start with new activities and longer hours of daylight, which means more time to get outside. “We can't wait to get outside, and go longer”.

With this valuable insight I created the ‘Longer Days’ communication platform and the first fully integrated 360 marketing campaign for The North Face Europe.

The campaign celebrates seasonal change and the benefits of the outdoors via an emotionally led brand position around exploration, creating a rich and deep brand experience that inspires consumers to get out and 'go longer', with a focus on owning extra daylight hours. It connects consumers through inspiration to get out more, by creating an online community and supplying the tools (via a digital platform and mobile app) to share challenges and experiences

Tease :: The campaign kick started online through social posts and online PR featuring the 'We are ready' tease film, and via a network of brand and athlete social channels talking to the concept of preparation for the coming season.

Reveal :: On the 28th of March, the night before the clocks changed in Europe for daylight savings, we released the 'Longer Days Are Back' TVC during prime time via the broadcast networks in the UK and Germany. On the 29th March a new digital platform was unveiled alongside the Explorer app to support the 'Longer Days' digital Activation.

Activity Based Marketing :: Throughout summer 4 x ABMs support the brand communication to 'Go Longer' in Trail Running, Hike, Climbing and Summit Series product ranges. All campaigns continue brand story telling of summer exploration via social and digital, PR, sports marketing, retail and trade channels.

Online teaser released 7 days prior to reveal phase.

Teaser phase Print and OOH creative.

Homepage takeover on thenorthface.com, exposed to over 1 million monthly users. Animated countdown graphic used to build excitement and drive awarenss to 29th March. Online, digital POS and digital OOH (London, Frankfurt and Munich).

Thenorthface.com takeover - parallax website navigation guides the consumer through the story of pre spring season preparation in animation and film.

Over 800 spots airing over two weeks in the UK and Germany. Generating over €2 million in media value, which will reach over 100 million views. Innovative video-based digital campaign in the UK and Germany. A mix of online, social and mobile networks are being used to achieve over 3 million estimated views.

Reveal phase creative - Print presence in specialised media in 11 European countries.

84 monobrand stores involved with a premium window program. Spring 14 POS packages in over 600 wholesale doors across Europe. Alignment of coop activities with strategic accounts.