Creating Art-Driven Regional Outdoor Advertising and Print Campaigns For Merrell
Top Adventure Brand Needs Memorable Campaign, Pronto
A Moment In Time
One of the world's premier outdoor footwear brands, Merrell wanted a series of regional campaigns showcasing the new edition of the world's bestselling hiking boot, the iconic Moab. 2020 saw an uptick in urban adventures, and more recreational activities done close to home. This was an opportunity to remind people that Merrell’s iconic boot was the tool for the job.
Speak to the Local Vibe
Merrell needed a memorable campaign delivered from soup to nuts in two weeks, with a concept that could be successfully applied to a range of North American cities, starting with Austin, Texas. The brief was to create an artistic mural that could be used as the foundation for a series of billboards, stickers, in-store assets, and a digital campaign. Our storytelling agency pitched them a campaign focused on local communities and experiences designed to showcase the best of each target region. We wanted to capture the regional vibe, reflected in the landmarks and recreational activities particular to the cities in which the campaigns would debut.
Upend Traditional Outdoor Product Marketing Strategies
Traditional marketing campaigns for outdoor footwear often follow similar templates of beautiful landscape photography framing a foreground of hikers wearing the brand. We felt that this concept was likely to blend into the background and pitched a concept based around brightly-colored graphic art that would jump out at people from the billboards and in-store displays.
Growing Our Core Strengths
"During the pandemic and the resulting six-month lockdown in Colombia, our storytelling agency worked hard to build out our core strengths. We expanded our artistic team by appointing Yenssy Gonzalez as Art Director and grew our digital capabilities with the talents of our Editor and Motion Designer, Felipe Nieto Moya. Our latest campaign for Merrell is a fantastic showcase of how we are now able to provide a higher level of digital creative content for our clients and partners" – WhereNext Founder & Director, Gregg Bleakney.
‘Fit For Austin’ - an example of our artistic approach to the Merrell Austin billboard campaign.
Bring Local Experiences To Life Through Art
Focus the Art on the Local Magic
It was crucial for each billboard to be hyper-focused on each city. In a time of travel restrictions and social distancing, more and more people are getting out and discovering their local area's magic. We wanted this campaign to help facilitate Merrell's client's thirst for local adventures and experiences. Our Art Director Yenssy Gonzalez worked alongside graphic artist Scott Partridge to create a dynamic billboard concept mixing Merrell's company branding and shoe images with an immersive and engaging panorama of local images and 'Easter Eggs.'
Invite Locals to Explore
The billboard's artistic style draws people in and invites them to see how many of the references they know: have they seen the bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge, or been paddleboarding or wild swimming? Did they know that their State Flower was the Bluebonnet or that their city was home to local colonies of Monk Parakeets? The billboards' concept wasn't just to showcase Merrell's iconic Moab hiking boot but also to get people inspired to lace them up and explore their local area. The keyword is curiosity – it's what the artwork inspires, and it's perhaps the most important impulse for anyone with a love of travel, adventure, and exploration.
Relate to Locals as an Insider
We also envisioned the 'Where's Waldo’-like artwork as a concept that could easily be translated to a visual travel guide series, digital campaign, or even a fun and personal 'Amazing Race’-style challenge for locals. Merrell customers could download the billboard artwork, complete with a travel guide to the best of Austin, Portland, Seattle, or any of the other global cities in the campaign. Or local people can use it as an excuse to get out and see more of their city. The possibilities of a campaign like this are endless and exciting. And Merrell saw the immense opportunities: why shouldn't your new hiking boots or trail running shoes come with the very best local tips on where to get out and use them? It's the natural evolution of an outdoor brand and chimes perfectly with Merrell's brand identity.
Summary: Three Keys to Regional Campaign Success
Build an Insider’s Rapport with Local Users
Current and future Merrell clients are broadly and realistically represented by the campaign, and we relate to them and their interests like insiders. The campaign iconography for each region is drawn from local historical, cultural, and recreational knowledge which would be familiar to the users.
Thoughtfully Represent Local Use Cases
All the many different and even unexpected use cases for Merrell shoes are revealed and thoughtfully represented. This ultimately helps to position Merrell as the every-person’s affordable technical shoe - you don’t have to be trekking up mountains to buy Merrell shoes, they are the right shoes for you even if you just want to get out and explore your local State Park or go urban birding.
Celebrate Geographic Quirks and Tastes
Each region and city has its own favorite outdoor activities and unique vibe that shape the appeal of different Merrell footwear lines. Maybe paddleboarding is a popular local activity and the Hydro Mocs are ideal, or perhaps you’re surrounded by incredible trails for running and hiking - by tailoring each campaign to a region’s unique local quirks and tastes, Merrell can create an authentic connection with their customer base through taking the time to understand what matters to their current users and future buyers.
Austin Iconography
Wildflowers of Texas: Blue Poppies
Additional flowers are a nod to: Wildflower Center of Austin
Asterisk symbol and facade: Ellsworth Kelly's Temple for Light
Peregrine Falcon: resident, University of Texas, Austin
Mural building Austin: Artist Josef Kristofolett
Alligator Gar: Texas State Fish
Outdoor Activity: Yoga
Frost Bank Tower (Looks like an owl)
One Eleven Congress, formerly One Congress Plaza
Canoe: paddle Lady Bird Lake
Popular Art Installation: Kempelen's Owls (rowing the Canoe)
Musical note: Austin, the live music capital of the world
Paddleboarding on a Pecan shaped board (Texas State Tree)
Congress Avenue Bridge: popular to witness the bats fly out from beneath the bridge, forming a surreal dark cloud.
Swimming in rivers and lakes
Cycling
Family camping with a retro trailer and grilling
Pet Pig
Pecan tree and then Guitar shaped flower as a nod to SXSW
Flower with a nod to SXSW logo arrow
Sun based on a well-known window inside the Saint Mary Cathedral