The main goal? Making a 40 year old outdoor brand cocol again. Something we have been working on the last year and a half with the Be Legendary Campaingn acting as the cherry on top. We needed to flip the script a bit and not rely on on the 40 years of credibility we have in the outdoor space, we needed to show old customers and new that we could own the cutting edge of innovation along with style and trend.
Here are the main objectives that helped us put the campaign together.
Reignite the Spark of Cool: Outdoor Research has spent 40 years making gear for the hardcore adventurer, but this campaign was about swagger. By teaming up with Mark Abma—a skier synonymous with style and substance—and turning our product team loose to create something both uniqe and trending at the same time.
Create demand with exclusivity: Limited to just 125 kits, this drop became more than a product; it it quickly became a collectors item in the world of snow. The scarcity drove hype, while the military-spec materials and Abma’s seal of approval made it a must have for the 2025 snow season.
Bridge generations: By combining 40 years of expertise with modern, raw energy, the campaign drew in a younger, style-conscious audience without alienating the die-hard explorers who’ve been with us since day one.
Elevate the Brand’s Perception: OR had a perception synonamous with core users, we set out to bring new eyes to the brand.
The Be Legendary Campaign was a two-year labor of love, starting in November 2022 with a simple but bold idea: to create a snow kit that would not only perform at the highest level but also tell a story that resonated deeply with outdoor enthusiasts.
Once the concept was solidified, we began designing the kit, determining how much of the military-spec material was available. After months of design work and prototyping, we received samples in early October 2023. The moment the samples arrived, we knew we had something special. With the kit in hand, it was time to build a campaign that could match its energy.
Mark Abma’s home base in Pemberton, BC, provided the perfect backdrop for capturing the essence of the project. Photographer Blake Jorgenson, a long-time creative inspiration for the team, joined forces with Mark to craft a visual narrative. The rugged Coastal Mountain Range served as more than just a location—it was a co-star. Drawing inspiration from The Revenant, we wanted the campaign to exude extreme adventure, raw exploration, and an almost primal connection to the elements. The vision included dramatic blue-hour photography to emphasize the rugged beauty of the landscape.
The execution wasn’t without its challenges. One of the worst snow years in a decade had us sweating bullets as we waited for the right conditions. By January, with a small storm on the horizon, Blake, Mark, and videographer Mike Henitiuk seized the moment. Living in Pemberton allowed them to jump into action on one of the best snow days of the entire season, capturing breathtaking content that perfectly embodied the campaign’s spirit.
With the photography and video in place, we shifted gears to build the story. Collaborating with our PR agency, we crafted a narrative designed to capture the attention of the outdoor industry’s top media outlets. The kit was the hero, the content was its voice, and the challenge was to present it in a way that felt as groundbreaking as the product itself.
Enter Seattle-based 3D graphic artist Benjamin Gerding. Benjamin brought the snow kit to life through a parallax landing page that was unlike anything seen before on the Outdoor Research website. The interactive design immersed viewers in the story of the kit, giving it a dynamic digital home that showcased every detail.
We launched the campaign on November 14, 2024, teasing content the week prior with help from our partners. The response was overwhelming. The kits sold out by the end of the weekend, and the campaign exceeded all expectations, earning features in Freeskier Magazine, Powder Magazine, Outside Magazine, Yahoo Sports, and Gear Junkie.
For a brand like Outdoor Research, this campaign wasn’t just about selling product—it was about reintroducing ourselves to the world. It brought a fresh energy to a 40-year-old brand and proved we could still make waves in the outdoor industry.
This project was more than a launch campaign—it was a creative milestone that reinvigorated the Outdoor Research brand. The campaign brought together three teams, each adding their unique expertise, and reminded us what’s possible when creativity leads the way.
The results were nothing short of extraordinary:
Selling out all 125 kits in one weekend was a major achievement, but the real success went deeper. This project fostered connection and collaboration within our walls, demonstrating the power of bold ideas and teamwork. It was a reminder that even a small, scrappy team can create something remarkable when there are no limits on creativity.
The Be Legendary Campaign wasn’t just about gear—it was about reigniting pride, inspiring adventure, and showing the world what Outdoor Research can do when we dream big.
