As part of the VF Foundation’s portfolio of brands, The North Face, along with Vans, Dickies, and more, are donating $1.5 Million to support local communities around the world fighting against the coronavirus pandemic.
The North Face said in a statement, “As the battle against COVID-19 continues and its impact deepens, we will continue to explore other ways that we can support our front-line workers and those affected by the crisis. We’re hopeful for the day when we’ll be back out there, together.”
Through its social advocacy platform, the Explore Fund, The North Face will also donate 60,000 gloves to U.S. healthcare workers as well as first responders. For this grant, the company will allocate funds where the need is most critical immediately and throughout the recovery together with national and local outdoor officials.
As part of the localized initiatives that many brands have been taking, the brand’s home state of Colorado will receive glove donations to those working on the front-line.
On their Instagram page, they quoted Jimmy Chin, The North Face athlete saying, “all storms pass. It’s how you weather them that matters,” going on to say that “as a community, let’s do our part and stay inside to help save lives. Because together, we will weather this storm.”
While The North Face should be applauded for their efforts, positivity, reinforcement, and encouragement, it seems that their COVID-19 related communications are missing an opportunity to do something brilliant, that stretches the limits of their brand’s values.
The fact The North Face is a brand that’s all about exploring and the outdoors is presenting a challenge for the company’s communications in times of self isolations and social distancing. But it may also be calling to try something outside the box.
The North Face brand value is around “inspiring and enabling athletes to push their limits – to seek new routes, new lines or new distances, and to NEVER STOP EXPLORING.” So why not switch things around as we’re all currently self-isolating, stuck at home, while the outside world has literally shut down.
Yes, adapting your ads and campaigns to the new COVID-19 pandemic is challenging, no question about it. But there are certainly some unique and innovative ways to go about doing it.
See, for example, how Jeep does it. Also, a brand that promotes the outdoors. In fact, its latest tagline is “Have fun out there.”
In their new campaign, Jeep has communicated the same spirit, but totally differently – clearly leveraging the brand’s values.
With their (quarantine) tagline reading, “It’s time to explore the great indoors,” Jeep has taken kitchen wear, remote controls, and crayons and arranged them to look like its signature front grille.
Bottom line, our point here is that every cloud has a silver lining, and that while this global crisis demands brands to first be helpful, creativity can still play a major role in your communications.