Two themes stood out in research: people are starting to feel jaded by the Chinese dream, and solitary exploration is meaningless. So we created a series of epic events that gave people a shared sense of achievement, enjoying outdoor activities along a route that headed North from the southern city of Guangzhou. The top 9 performers in the first 9 cities were invited to join an exclusive group that would set out from Mohe, in Northern China, to the country’s ‘True North’. At each Northern point, participants could check-in an receive a TNF explorer badge to share via social media.

- 46% increase in brand sales (Category growth at 29%, biggest competitor growth at 32%) - Biggest competitor outspent The North Face 2.3 to 1- 257% increase in total brand awareness- 3.28m hits on campaign website- 2,059 consumers joined event, forming the biggest exploration team ever- 1m posts on social media- 162,544 badges unlocked through mobile check-in (record for Jiepang.com, China’s Foursquare)- 50,000+ followers increase on Sina Weibo, 3 times more than a year earlier- 21 magazines published 111 campaign articles- A documentary film for a Travel Channel on TV