LONDON, UK – Columbia Sportswear has unveiled its latest campaign, “Engineered for Whatever,” a meticulously executed initiative created in partnership with adam&eveDDB London. The campaign, launched globally on August 4, 2025, encapsulates Columbia’s promise to outfit consumers for every extreme from urban landscapes to the unrelenting outdoors.
Created in partnership with adam&eveDDB London, this multi-season platform marks a striking pivot in Columbia’s brand storytelling, departing from traditional depictions of idyllic landscapes to spotlight the untamed and often brutal reality of nature.
With a launch film directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and produced by SMUGGLER, the campaign opens with a riotously entertaining spot where adventurers are not conquering nature but being hilariously conquered by it. From being dive-bombed by vultures to swallowed by snowdrifts, the campaign gleefully subverts tropes of heroism and serenity in outdoor advertising. The darkly comic tone is further amplified by a guest appearance from Aron Ralston, the real-life mountaineer whose harrowing survival story inspired 127 Hours and a thrash-metal cover of Irving Berlin’s classic “Blue Skies,” turning nostalgic optimism on its head.
The new campaign introduces a refreshed visual identity for Columbia Sportswear, including a redesigned logo lock up, typeface and bold new color system. These elements roll out across retail, digital and social channels worldwide, ensuring consistency with the campaign’s disruptive energy.
“Whether it’s wide sweeping landscapes, sunny weather, or cliché model photography, advertising in the outdoor category has often followed a tired playbook by depicting the outdoors as pristine and perfect,” said Matt Sutton, Head of Marketing at Columbia.
“But at Columbia, our gear is built not just for a perfect day but for whatever mother nature throws at you. With ‘Engineered for Whatever’ we’re showing people that our products are made to handle the extreme and unpredictable, with a healthy dose of humor and joy. By embracing the real and unexpected sides of adventure, we’re staying true to our legacy and charting a distinct and memorable path for our brand going forward.”
Ant Nelson & Mike Sutherland, Chief Creative Officers at adam&eveDDB London, said: “With its fresh and visceral ‘Engineered for Whatever’ brand platform, Columbia Sportswear is bringing the brutal side of the outdoors to life, to prove their gear can handle it all. The repositioning resurrects the brand’s irreverence and verve and shows its audience that they can trust Columbia’s apparel and enjoy the great outdoors no matter what (mis) adventures they get up to.”
‘Engineered for Whatever’ is a multi-season campaign that launches in the US on August 4th, and will run on CTV, OLV, social, display, audio and OOH, with global activity also planned.
Credits List
Client: Columbia Sportswear
Brand: Columbia Sportswear
Project/Campaign Name: Engineered for Whatever
Launch Date: 4th August 2025
Client Credits:
Joe Boyle, Executive Vice President, Columbia Brand President
Matt Sutton, Sr. Vice President, Columbia Marketing
Tom Miller, Vice President, Columbia Marketing
Chris Araujo, Sr. Director, Columbia Creative
Jigna Kapadia, Sr. Director, Columbia
Agency Credits – adam&eveDDB London:
Ant Nelson, Mike Sutherland, Chief Creative Officers
William Cottam, James Crosby, Creative Directors
Ben Robinson, Mike Whiteside, Creatives
Jessica Taylor, Executive Content Director
Reanne Whitaker, Social Creative
Sally Pritchett, Head of Production
Deborah McCartney, Producer
Charlotte Ellison, Producer
Merle Aylott, Assistant Producer
Scott Silvey, Head of Design
Dave Callow, Senior Creative Artworker
Miranda Hipwell, Chief Executive Officer
Will Grundy, Chief Strategy Officer
Alex Scott Malden, Planning Director
Oscar Beach, Planner
Fraser Thomson, Managing Partner
Lily Henry, Account Director
Flora Hopewell, Account Director
Amy Holden, Account Manager
Rasha Noronha, Project Director
Candice Macleod, General Counsel
Tom Campbell, Senior Legal Counsel
Florence Chui, Paralegal
Layla Husted, Business Affairs Manager
Emily Eshelby, Senior Business Affairs Manager
Lee Gunther, Communications Director
Production Company – Smuggler:
Henry-Alex Rubin, Director
Fergus Brown, Managing Director
Ray Leakey, Producer
Mike Carr, Production Manager
Anthony Dimino, 1st Assistant Director
Oliver Millar, Director of Photography
Mateo Akira, Director of Photography
Silence, Socials Director
Sian Bourke, Socials Producer
Service Company: Division
Photographer: Anne-Sophie Soudoplatoff
Retouching – King Henry:
Mark Henry, Retoucher
Editing Company – Final Cut:
Joe Guest, Editor
Leah Burton, Editor
Maud Barry, Social Editor
Nikki Porter, Senior Edit Producer
Hannah Burger, Assistant Editor
VFX – Framestore:
Alexia Paterson, Executive Producer
Ellie May Tinker, Line Producer
Kamen Markov, Creative Director and VFX Supervisor
David Lochhead, Head of Design
Henrique Campanha, CG Supervisor
Matthew Thomas, Compositing Supervisor
Gregory Gaskins, Comp Lead
Michael Baker, Comp Lead
Zybrand Jacobs, Lead FX TD
Jules Janaud, Shoot Supervisor
Brad Silby, Head of Animation
Mariano Carrara, Design Producer
Johannes Sambs, Head of CG
Humberto Reynaga, Head of Editorial
Aadel Matoorianpour, Flame Artist
Colour Grading – Company 3:
Matthieu Toullet, Colourist
Chris Anthony, Colour Producer
Visual Research: Carly Randall at FFFOUND.TV
Social Online – Omnicom Productions:
Richard Bailey, Producer
Darnell Depradine, Editor
Audio Post-Production – Wave Studios London:
Parv Thind, Sound Design
Caroline Jemirifo, Audio Producer
Soundtrack Name: Blue Skies
Music Supervision – Soundtree:
Luke Fabia, Peter Raeburn, Music Producer
Luis Almau, Head of Music
Jay James, Managing Director
Neil Athale, Colin McIlhagga, Luke Georgiou, Music Supervisor
Composed by: Irving Berlin
Performed by: Maddie Stephenson
