http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/business/media/telling-urbanites-to-flee-the-cities-.html 2014-10-27 00:19:46 Telling Urbanites to Flee the Cities The outdoor retailer the North Face has a new campaign encouraging city dwellers, among whom its jackets are already popular, to take part in outdoor activities like biking and mountain-climbing. === So popular are puffy down jackets made by “The American consumer sees a value-add in products that can overperform, and I call it the Range Rover effect,” said Matt Powell, an analyst at Princeton Retail Analysis. “If I have a Range Rover, I’m probably never going to drive it up the side of a mountain, but it’s really cool that you can do that, and maybe that makes me feel a little safer driving to the grocery store.” Now a new campaign by the North Face blends its typical imagery of adventurous hiking and mountain climbing with a plea to city dwellers to escape to the outdoors. For The spot closes with the store’s long-running slogan, “Never stop exploring,” and urges consumers to download the new recording of the song from iTunes. The download will cost $1.29, with Apple pocketing its customary third and the rest going to the While the North Face logo is clearly visible on equipment and clothing in the commercial, there is no overt selling. Tommy Means, the executive creative director of Mekanism, the San Francisco agency behind the spot, commended the brand for going along with the concept, which functions more like a music video than an ad. “I get a lot of clients that are like, ‘We have to be brick-to-forehead — we have to make this advertising so obvious that we yell at our customers about what the features and benefits of the product are,” Mr. Means said. “And that just takes all the fun out of advertising. But the North Face is not like that — they’re letting everything be pretty authentic and real.” Aaron Carpenter, vice president for global marketing at the North Face, noted that the commercial included a defiant stanza from an early version of the song rarely included in grade-school singalongs. “As I went walking I saw a sign there, and on the sign it said ‘No Trespassing,’ ” Mr. Guthrie wrote. “But on the other side it didn’t say nothing. That side was made for you and me.” While the lyrics seem to advocate defying authority, the commercial takes a softer approach, showing a kindly rancher happily opening a gate to let some climbers onto his property, and Mr. Carpenter said the perspective aligned with the philosophy of the brand. “What we love about the song is it’s this idea of love for the land, and getting out on the land and protecting it,” Mr. Carpenter said. “But there’s also rebelliousness in that song.” A 90-second version of the spot will be introduced on YouTube on Monday and on television during the Nov. 9 “Sunday Night Football” broadcast on NBC. Shorter versions of the spot, from 15 seconds to 60 seconds, also will appear on television and online. The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, declined to reveal the campaign’s cost, but indicated that spending this year would be up 50 percent over last year. In 2013, the brand spent $14.9 million on advertising, according to the Kantar Media unit of WPP. The effort also includes a partnership with Outside magazine that promotes 50 outings across the country, like hiking on Beehive Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine and white-water rafting in Gunnison Gorge in Colorado. Consumers are encouraged to post online photos of themselves at the locations using the hashtag #SeeForYourself. Also, from Tuesday through Thursday in Manhattan, some pedestrians will be approached by brand representatives in a vehicle that is being called a #SeeForYourself Taxi and, if they are willing to play hooky for the day, will be outfitted in equipment, paired with an outdoor adventurer sponsored by the brand and whisked off to an activity like mountain climbing or mountain biking. For the week ended Oct. 18, the North Face commanded a 25.4 percent share of the outdoor apparel market, followed by Columbia, with a 12.5 percent share, and Patagonia, with a 9.7 percent share, according to Mr. Powell, the retail analyst. David Vinjamuri, the author of “Accidental Branding” and an adjunct professor of marketing at New York University, said the North Face was what he called an expert brand, because it first caught on with adventurers through equipment and outerwear that innovatively countered the elements. Mr. Vinjamuri lauded the brand for showing outdoor adventure consistently in its advertising, even if much of its clothing is now worn by the trendy for everyday activities. “If you’re expert at making boats that don’t sink, then you better stay expert at that even if people are buying your boats for lots of other reasons,” Mr. Vinjamuri said.