Dan Neil: REI takes the plunge into TV advertising

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While other retailers are going small and new-media and digital-social, the upscale Gore-Tex emporium REI is going uphill (naturally) with its first-ever series of mass-media, blanket-the-Earth TV commercials. Recreational Equipment Incorporated, based in Washington state, rolled out two 30-second spots (by BBDO Atlanta) in the city markets of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The spots will also air on cable channels including Discovery, National Geographic, TLC, Planet Green, Travel Channel and ESPN.

REI estimates the ads will reach 30 million viewers through the holidays. According to REI, the commercials, entitled “Tree” and “Fine Dining,” portray the outdoors as a place to build community while demonstrating that outdoor recreation is an activity everyone can enjoy.

“Our new ads capture the co-op’s love of the outdoors and our desire to share that love with others. We hope viewers find them inviting, fun and authentic, and that they are motivated to spend more time in the outdoors,” said Tom Vogl, REI vice president of Marketing. “Whether taking shelter from rain while hiking through an old growth forest or sharing sandwiches at a campsite while being awestruck by the stars above, we want viewers to be inspired to experience nature firsthand.”

-- Dan Neil

Full story by advertising critic Dan Neil: REI TV ads portray the outdoors in all its uncomfortable glory