The client asked us to design and execute a Seattle-based event that would connect outdoor activity with today’s youth culture. We wanted to build opportunities to engage with youth culture, encouraging them to bring their lives outdoors rather than creating experiences that flow the other way around, forcing the outdoors into their worlds.

Overall, the event increased offline and online conversation. Announcements for the Bonfire Sessions leading up the event garnered a 400% increase in interactions on JanSport’s Facebook page, and an 8% increase in followers on Twitter. The campaign (wild postings, alt weekly ads & digital banners) generated over 6 million impressions. We had to turn away over 200 people at the bus stop. According to the client, Marketing Director Courtney Blacker, it was "the most meaningful thing we've ever done as a brand". It took a generation steeped in hipster urban culture and introduced them to the outdoors.

The idea was simple: kids belong outside. To help them reconnect with the outdoors, we held a secret campfire concert in the woods. Hopeful attendees had to follow clues on Twitter, Facebook, and JanSport’s music blog throughout the month leading up to the event. From there, they could figure out the location where buses would depart for the top-secret concert location. Upon arrival, they were greeted with food trucks, bonfires and a live band. We wanted to capture the universal, simple pleasure of sitting around a crackling campfire, under the stars, with your dearest friends dancing to live music.

Historically JanSport has had strong performance authenticity, despite a more recent decline in their claim on outdoor authority. Today’s consumers were born in a digital world, they’ve increasingly become more unfamiliar with the outdoors at best, and sedentary at worst. So in order to reconnect our target audience with the outdoors (and the product itself) we packed our JanSport bags and took them there. The event was supported with print, wild postings and digital placements (banners, blogging) to stir curiosity. Attendees chronicled the event generating pictures, brand love, and lifelong memories; as well as key promotional assets for the year.