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For those who think there’s no such thing as uncharted territory these days, here’s a validating stat: Google has mapped 98% of the world, covering more than 10 million miles with Street View.
But what about the remaining 2%? It’s safe to say that sliver is fairly rugged real estate, so to Yeti, it looked like a challenge waiting to be accepted.
To scout out that final frontier, the legacy brand—maker of sturdy coolers and stainless steel drinkware—has launched the “Mapping the Gaps” campaign, sending 15 of its ambassadors to document trails less traveled in picturesque places around the world. A second phase of the effort invites consumers to do the same.
So far, Yeti’s athletes have traveled through rainforests in British Columbia, remote hillsides in Australia and desert landscapes in Santa Fe, with coordinates now available on Google Street View. The work, done in-house, is central to Yeti’s mission of urging more would-be adventurers to head outdoors.
“For many people, it’s intimidating to just pack up and go on a trail—so how could we give them a preview or a shot of confidence to get out there?” Paulie Dery, the brand’s CMO, told Adweek. “By mapping the best trails that Google wasn’t able to.”
The project—under the tagline “Where the street ends, the journey begins”—coincides with the debut of the Hopper line of backpack coolers, which are featured prominently in the ambassador content.
In addition to using the map project as a real-world product demo, Yeti is also tapping into the massive power of Google Street View, in essence hacking a digital platform of 8 billion monthly users for organic exposure.
Yeti’s campaign comes as an increasing number of brands dig further into experiential marketing as a way to engage consumers. Meantime, programs like all-terrain vehicle maker BRP and agency Touché’s “Uncharted Playgrounds” aim to match up outdoor enthusiasts with off-the-beaten-path environs.
