Darn Tough Socks
People who are serious about their favorite sports are also serious about their gear. But a common piece of gear that isn’t talked about in extreme sports circles are socks, even if those socks are necessary for an athlete’s comfort. We designed a campaign for Darn Tough Socks that focused on showing our socks as synonymous with the sports’ cultures that our audience comes from.
“The socks you wear if this is your idea of taking a break.
The socks you wear to a place like this had better be as tough as you are. @darntough has you covered—no blisters, no quit, just pure durability. #DarnTough #GuaranteedForLife #ClimbOn”
We would begin by launching an animated social media campaign to reach hobbyists who also enjoy extreme travel content.
“Socks for the person who has ‘enjoys hiking’ on their dating profile and actually means it.
If you’re serious about your hiking, you’re serious about your comfort. Whether you’re hiking the Appalachian trail, edging up Angel’s Landing, or just going for a quick jaunt through your local park, you need socks that can keep you sweat-free and blister-free. Thankfully, Vermont outdoorsmen have had the answer for decades.
Darn Tough socks are made from the finest merino wool in New Zealand. Why merino wool? It’s sweat-wicking and suited to both hot and cold climates, meaning you’re always prepared no matter the destination, or its journey.
Invest in a pair of Darn Tough socks today. Your trail buddies already own a few pairs.
We would then place print ads in outdoorsmen and extreme sports magazines to connect with our audience where they most often seek advice.
We would also place digital billboards in areas with high foot-and-bike traffic, so that our message is seen by the people most likely to engage with it.
“Tell the story that you’ve told a thousand times. Forever.
Here at Darn Tough, we’ve heard all the best campfire tales. But we’re always itching to hear more! Send us your best outdoor adventures and we’ll knit you a pair of custom socks bearing the memory. The next time you want to tell that story, you’ll just have to lift your pant leg.”
Finally, to fully integrate ourselves with the cultures of our audience, we would create customs socks based on their experiences while hiking, climbing, biking, or more in the wilderness.
People would submit their stories through our website, which we would then turn into a design. Once they had approved our design, we would knit their socks for them so they could remain comfortable on their future adventures.
Hallie Utsler - Social Media and Out-of-Home Graphic Designer
Chris Schmidt - Out-of-Home Graphic Designer
Emma Harden - Copywriter