Columbia Sportswear Gives Away A Survival Bunker

Columbia Sportswear is launching the “Don’t Panic Room,” a new campaign and contest that challenges outdoor enthusiasts to prove they have the skills, ingenuity and resilience to survive. As the world watches wealthy tech bros building bunkers for the worst-case scenarios, the brand feels that it’s important for the rest of society to have a shot at surviving whatever Mother Nature throws at us as well.

Created with adam&eve\TBWA, the campaign kicks off today with a film at columbia.com/bunker [launching 9am PT] featuring Columbia CEO Tim Boyle, who calls on viewers to prove they have what it takes to win the “Don’t Panic Room,” a bunker stocked with Columbia gear. The spot is directed by Benji Weinstein and produced by Smuggler.

Participants can submit videos showcasing their survival skills for the chance to win a 40-foot x 8-foot off-grid bunker, stocked with loads of Columbia gear, tools and plenty of stuff needed for whatever comes next. This modified shipping container will be delivered directly to the winner. Entries will be accepted through November 24, 2026, via Instagram or by visiting columbia.com/bunker.

“We’ve been making gear for bad weather and other unfortunate moments for almost 90 years,” said Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear. “We’ve seen it all and we figured we’d offer our fans a chance to overcome the absolute worst that can happen in the outdoors. Hopefully the winner never needs the ‘Don’t Panic Room,’ but we made sure they’ll be warm and dry if the world does go to sh*t.”

The “Don’t Panic Room” is designed to keep occupants equipped and warm during a worst-cast scenario. The space features a bunk bed, a kitchen and dining area, bathroom, shelves stocked with survival gear, tools and supplies and a robotic dog named Rocky for companionship. And to arm occupants for adventures outside the bunker, a full Columbia section includes rows of canned jackets and gear.

“When you envision a classic bunker, it’s lined with rows and rows of cans to be opened in an emergency,” said Chris Araujo, Senior Director of Columbia Brand Creative. “The idea of sealing one of our puffer jackets in a can works really well. It’s canned heat! You can simply pop one open to help keep warm in the event of an unexpected ice age.”

Jackets like Columbia’s Terwilliger Trail Heat Seal Hooded Jacket are ready to be opened when the weather, or the world, takes a turn for the worst. The jackets are built with Omni-Heat™ Infinity, Columbia’s patented heat reflective technology that was inspired by emergency blankets. The special-edition cans will also be mailed to influencers, creators and key media. The bunker is also stocked with several pairs of Columbia footwear, including the Tellurix Titanium OutDry Mid, a technical waterproof shoe designed to tackle the most unexpected conditions.

The campaign launches today, October 28th, with the social film, a print ad in The New York Times and eye-catching billboards across Silicon Valley, poking fun at the wealthy tech bros who may already have their bunkers ready to go. Influencer engagement and paid media efforts are also part of the marketing mix.

“The ‘Don’t Panic Room’ marks the next chapter in our Engineered for Whatever platform and is another unique way to show how our gear performs when conditions get especially tough. In this case, REALLY tough,” said Matt Sutton, Head of Marketing at Columbia. “As we all watch tech people building bunkers to hide from their own tech, we want to reward the real survivalists and outdoors people who appreciate what Mother Nature has to offer.”

Ant Nelson, Chief Creative Officer, adam&eve\TBWA: “When things feel a little unpredictable, what more can you ask for than your very own, fully equipped, 40ft long survival bunker? The ‘Don’t Panic Room’ is the perfect embodiment of Columbia’s brand platform, 'Engineered For Whatever’, celebrating the ingenuity, irreverence and spirit of adventure that define the brand. Whatever Mother Nature throws at you, it pays to have the right kit."

Credits:

Columbia Sportswear:

Tim Boyle – Chairman and CEO, Columbia Sportswear Company

Joe Boyle – Executive Vice President, Columbia Brand President

Matt Sutton – Sr. Vice President, Columbia Marketing

Tom Miller – Vice President, Columbia Marketing

Chris Araujo – Sr. Director, Columbia Creative

Jeramy Sewer – Brand Activations Manager

Scott Lloyd – Sr. Marketing Director

Andy Nordhoff – Communications Director

Sheena Compton – Director of Marketing Operations

Cerissa McFarlane – Sr. Marketing Operations Lead

Nicole Esterbrook – Sr. Events Experience Manager

Lexi Heinrichs – Media Relations Lead

Caroline Digilio – Sr. Social Media Manager

Vladimir Popov – Social Media Lead

Kourtney Reeves – Paid Media Lead

Abby Schrader – Ecommerce Campaign Lead

adam&eve/TBWA:

Miranda Hipwell – Chief Executive Officer

Ant Nelson - Chief Creative Officer

Mike Sutherland - Chief Creative Officer

Will Grundy – Chief Strategy Officer

James Crosby – Creative Director

Wiliam Cottam – Creative Director

Ben Robinson – Creative

Mike Whiteside – Creative

Sofia Lindstrom – Creative

Victoria Kothe – Creative

Adam Patel – Managing Partner

Phoebe Swan – Business Director

Iwan Rees – Account Manager

Fraser Thomson – Managing Partner

Sarah Hill – Account Director

Alex Scott-Malden – Group Planning Director

Oscar Beach – Senior Planner

Emma Debus – Senior Planner

Scott Silvey - Head of Design

Oliver Watts - Designer

John Martin - Retoucher

Rob Wallis - Studio Manager

Petrina Kilby – Executive Producer

Jaki-Jo Hannan – Director of Integrated Production

Nick Godden – Director of Integrated Production

Lee Gunther - Communications Director

Candice Macleod – General Counsel

Alina Khalid – Paralegal

Tom Campbell – Legal Counsel

Stuart Heyburn - Chief Operating Officer

Alice Southam - Project Director

Lucy Morcas-Wilkin - Junior Project Manager

Hollie Mason - Commercial Director

Tom Freeland - Senior Commercial Analyst

Smuggler:

Benji Weinstein - Director

Lucy Kelly - Managing Director

Tom Knight - Executive Producer

Amelia Whitebury - Head of Production

Manny Caston - Line Producer

Joe Meade - Director of Photography

Cut & Run:

Sean Stender - Editor (Cut & Run)

Crissy DeSimone - EP (Cut & Run)

Jared Thomas - Producer (Cut & Run)

Online Post Production: 1920vfx

Audio Post Production: 750mph

We. Communications:

Jamie Jang - Senior Vice President

Madeline Willman - Vice President

Wendy Villalta - Account Director

Kyle Torrens - Account Director

Valerie McQuade - Account Executive