(Goose) down in front.
Extreme weather outerwear manufacturer Canada Goose announced today that it has joined the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) sponsor roster as the official sponsor of the Best Canadian Feature Film Award.
Kevin Spreekmeester, vice-president of global marketing for Canada Goose in Toronto, said the company has long had an “unofficial” relationship with Hollywood, but wanted to make more people aware of the association.
Canada Goose apparel has been used by crews on cold-weather film shoots for more than two decades, and recently began appearing on-screen in major motion pictures including Captain America, The Grey, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Red.
“So many brands buy placement in films, but we are selected by crews and wardrobe people because of our authenticity, and this was a great opportunity to start telling that story,” said Spreekmeester. “It’s about making sure people understand how authentic film and entertainment is as part of our brand DNA.”
As part of the new partnership, Canada Goose has created a video called “Journey North,” a 15-second version of which was directed by Nathan Morlando and will air before each screening of the 26 Canadian films on the TIFF schedule.
The film was shot by a 50-person crew using three helicopters on British Columbia’s Pemberton Glacier – which has been used as a stand-in for Antarctica or the Arctic in several films.
The video will drive people to JourneyNorth.ca (site not yet live) where they can view the full 90-second video, depicting a man coming out of a tent and starting to run. The longer video was directed by Canada Goose’s agency of record, Doug & Serge.
The video is deliberately ambiguous, and invites people to write their own script for the scenario for a chance to win a prize package that includes having their script professionally recorded by Doug & Serge, as well as tickets to TIFF 2013 and Canada Goose apparel.
“We’re all about experiences and stories, and this is a chance for consumers to really engage with the brand and present some of their creativity,” said Spreekmeester.
Morlando will also be featured as a “goose person” in upcoming ads from the company. The company’s previous “goose people” include Laurie Skreslet (the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest), four-time Iditarod and Yukon Quest winner Lance Mackey and Native Canadian actress/activist Annabella Piugattuk.
While Canada Goose has been “discovered” by fashion-forward consumers in recent years, Spreekmeester said the company – which sells its product in 40 countries – continues to operate under the credo “function-first.”
“Hollywood embraced us because of our function and because we’re an iconic heritage brand,” said Spreekmeester. “We’re not pretending to be fashion – this is who we are. Film and entertainment is the perfect intersection for us to tell that story.”
While Canada Goose has traditionally competed against brands like North Face in the outerwear category, its emerging profile as a fashion brand has put it in competition with other premium lifestyle brands, said Spreekmeester.
The premium brand has two primary target audiences: function-first households with kids, often suburban and in the upper-middle class income bracket; and younger (early 20s) fashion-first consumers who shop at upscale retailers like Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew and Sporting Life.
“The lifestyle world has adopted us because they recognize the authenticity, they search for value and real brands, and that’s what they see in Canada Goose – a brand that stands for something real, not selling out,” said Spreekmeester.
While TIFF coincides with the beginning of Canada Goose’s key sales period, Spreekmeester said its merchandise is sold year-round. The company is “quite active” from a marketing perspective, said Spreekmeester, though it tends to eschew high-profile ad buys in favour of what he called “more strategic and tactical” advertising encompassing sponsorship and guerilla marketing.
