EDDIE BAUER: FIRST ASCENT

What is First Ascent?

Eddie Bauer isn’t that old man store anymore but rather a store whose consumers are always on the precipice of an adventure – which you can be part of right now. Your adventure is life.

Objective:

To raise awareness of the First Ascent clothing line. The larger objective is to introduce Eddie Bauer, through First Ascent, to a younger demographic (22-40) than that of the average Eddie Bauer consumer (45+). On the flip side we want to use First Ascent to make the average demographic not feel “old” while not insulting or isolating them either. I pictured assorted print and web ads that could stand on their own individually but collectively their concepts all play into the objective.

Concept I:

First Ascent, by its very name, is associated with mountain climbing instantly. Mount Climbing is a very niche sport/lifestyle – which isolates your average consumer. The idea with my headline, copy and visual play overall was to undo this isolation by using mountain climbing as a metaphor for everyday life. We all “climb mountains” in one-way or the other. Some visual ways to achieve this would be to juxtapose the mountain imagery of First Ascent with city environments, or sports to non-sports. Traditionally I would use an adventurous visual and have the headline propose the metaphor.

Concept II:

The second motif I wanted was that of the ascent or “Rise” – as into to rise above “your mountain”. Just as First Ascent gear will directly help you climb a mountain – First Ascent clothing will be the gear to help you climb your proverbial mountain. In other headlines I would play on the “first” aspect – to be first creates feelings of adventure and by proxy youth, whether to appeal to younger consumers or make older consumers feel young.

Concept III:

I envisioned First Ascent ads that showed First Ascent being used for other outdoor sports such as skiing, snowboarding, paddle-boarding, and surfing. First Ascent is for more then literal mountain climbing.  These ads feature First Ascent endorsed athletes (in this case, Lynsey Dyer actually is one - I invented the others) doing their thing juxtaposed with a personal, more relatable image of themselves. With mountain climbing and similar alternative sports usually being thought of as masculine I chose female athletes that would offset this for the female consumer.