Columbia Sportswear's Wild Campaign That Triumphed At Cannes

Two years ago, adam&eve\TBWA were handed a copy of One Tough Mother by Columbia Sportswear president Joe Boyle and challenged to use it to reconnect the brand with its anarchic roots. Written by Boyle’s grandmother and company founder, Gert Boyle, the book became the creative compass for what followed — culminating in 'Expedition Impossible', winner of this year’s Dan Wieden Titanium Award at Cannes Lions.

The unconventional campaign — part of Columbia’s new 'Engineered for Whatever' platform — invited flat earthers to prove the world wasn’t round by sharing a photo of themselves at the edge of the Earth. If they succeeded, Boyle promised to hand over the entire company. The challenge was laid out in a knowingly tongue‑in‑cheek two‑minute film featuring Boyle himself, who later appeared to dial in “from the edge” during the Titanium jury presentation.

In response to many messages of outrage from the Flat Earther community there was one letter of response claiming to have found the edge of the Earth, complete with a drone photo and a tongue‑in‑cheek request for instructions on taking ownership of the company. Columbia received letters like this weekly, sparking playful back‑and‑forth with a uniquely enthusiastic community.

Reflecting on the win, Boyle calls it “a testament to never settling for the status quo,” revealing that his brief to adam&eve/TBWA demanded “groundbreaking work that most would be afraid to approve.” His ambition was simple: create ideas that get people talking about Columbia Sportswear.

“We also hoped it would get more people outside, having fun, and wearing Columbia gear — which is the whole point of our marketing efforts. We’re still getting letters, voicemails and photos from Flat Earthers. They haven’t found the edge yet, but when they do, they’d better be wearing Columbia gear,” Boyle adds.

Alongside the highest accolade from Cannes Lions, the wider campaign also the Grand Prix in Brand Experience and Activation; two Gold Lions in Direct Marketing and PR; three Silver Lions in Social and Creator, PR & Direct; and three Bronze Lions in Social and Creator, PR and Brand Strategy.

A platform to build upon

'Engineered for Whatever' first appeared in August 2025, with an intentionally chaotic film that showcases the dangers of the great outdoors but with humour at its heart. Instead of painting a picture of scenic beauty, it highlighted the various hazards humans face, and why they need quality apparel to help protect them.

Miranda Hipwell, CEO of adam&eve\TBWA, explains: “That line was never just a communications line, it was something for the entire business to get behind, because Columbia products are super innovative, very progressive, and amazing, but they had lost that kind of elevation. So this was all designed to make sure that we could keep that of reverence and that tone but really deliver on that product superiority.”

She reveals that the team worked with Matt Sutton, senior vice president and head of marketing, to examine the entire Columbia business brand and identify meaningful customer insights that could inspire new product and service ideas.

One standout insight was that Columbia jackets are so durable they’re often handed down through generations. That led to the creation of a special jacket containing a legally binding “last will and testament” label, allowing owners to formally pass it on.

To launch it, the agency introduced a Grim Reaper influencer for Halloween, encouraging people to share their near‑death experiences and highlight the jacket’s purpose.

“What adam&eve\TBWA does so well, and going back to the book into our history, is they dive into our history and pick out the best parts of it and bring it to life. So, the jacket is a powder kit jacket, which is a jacket that became iconic for us in the 80s, and then we get emails from customers every week with pictures of them and their kids or their grandkids and their dad that they have for 80s. It's a perfect example where you tap into that in a really authentic way for us,” explains Sutton.

A beer made from bear poop

Another example of the wild nature of the ongoing campaign is the production of limited edition beer ‘Nature Calls’, released in February in America ahead of the Super Bowl. Made in partnership with Portland’s Breakside Brewery, the light lager also includes honey and huckleberry syrup and is infused with black bear droppings.

“We didn't have the budget, especially not the media budget, to do a 30-second traditional ad… so we were like, ‘ok, we need to think a bit more laterally’, outlines adam&eve\TBWA’s Ant Nelson.

That led the team to consider what everyone consumes while watching the Super Bowl — a beer — leading to the idea of brewing a beer using bear poop. Initially seen as too outlandish to ever happen, the project became real when Joe Boyle revealed he’d already stored bear poo in a freezer for the brew. Attention of its release drew long queues at all seven brewery locations and generated major PR attention, including coverage in Vogue, Nelson reveals.

“When you have an idea like this and it takes hold, then you get the whole organisation leaning in, so there are people in your team going, ‘What about this? What about that?’” Hipwell says of the company’s response. That includes the addition of an alligator to the reception of the Portland headquarters and a dummy employee suspended by their rock pants.

“It's been one of those ideas that has kind of galvanised everybody in the business, and on our side too - that's just been the joy of this relationship,” she continues, revealing that more is set to follow.