BRANDING THE RAT; T-SHIRTS & STICKERS IN THE ERA OF INSTA-MEDIA
IN AN INDUSTRY LOST TO SLEAZY COMMERCIALISM WE RESORT TO THE LAST BASTION OF ALTERNATIVE MARKETING – THE ‘BAND SHIRT’ STICKERS. WE DON’T SPEND ON POP UPS, SCROLLING BANNERS, SPONSORED POSTS AND TRADE SHOWS, INSTEAD OUR INFLUENCERS ARE GRIMEY PACKS BEING PUSHED THROUGH ARRIVALS, FADED SHIRTS AT THE CRAG, AND PEELING AND MELTED STICKERS ON WATERBOTTLES, ICE TOOLS AND COOKING POTS BEING USED BY REAL CLIMBERS WHO KNOW WHAT REAL EXPEDITIONS ARE ABOUT.
ROUGHLY PRINTED BLACK T-SHIRTS AND CHEAP MONOCHROME STICKERS ARE A TRADITION THAT GOES BACK DECADES, BEING A STAPLE FOR EVERY ALTERNATIVE BAND, MOUTHY MOVEMENT AND AGENDA GROUP SINCE THE T-SHIRT WAS INVENTED. WHERE THE ESTABLISHMENT BROADCAST ITS MEMES VIA THE BRANDS AND EMBLEMS IT FIXED TO EVERYTHING, THOSE WITH BIG MOUTHS BUT SMALL MOUTHPIECES FORWENT SUBLETY AND WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE FRONT OF THE SHIRT.
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WE ARE A BUSINESS AND THUS WE PROMOTE OURSELVES, BUT WE ARE REALISTIC ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL EVER WANT WHAT WE PROVIDE. RATHER THAN CAST WIDE WE CHOOSE TO TARGET AND FILTER, USING METHODS WE THINK APPEAL TO A CERTAIN WAY OF THINKING. WE SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, AND WOULD RATHER FIND THOSE WHO THINK SIMILARLY THAN BOTHER WITH CONVERTING ANYONE. THANKFULLY, OUR TEAMSTERS USUALLY SHARE A FEW THINGS IN COMMON WE CAN MARKET TO, TO GET OUR BRAND AND IDEAS OUT TO THOSE WHO WANT THEM. WE THINK WE TARGET THE GOOD THINGS IN A CLIMBER RATHER THAN PLAY TO THEIR EGO, SOCIAL STATUS OR LACK OF KNOWING, SO WE MARKET SIMPLY AND OPENLY TO WHAT WE OURSELVES RESPOND;
THEY LIKE TANGIBLES. STICKERS AND SHIRTS ARE CURRENCY TO THOSE WHO EARN THEM, AND JUST AS ULTRAMARATHONS HAND OUT SHIRTS AS A RELIC OF LEAN TISSUE BURNED, OUR MERCH IS A TANGIBLE INDICATOR THAT YOU ARE A TYPE.
THEY’RE CURIOUS. NO ONE HAS TO LIKE US, BUT WE AIM AT LEAST TO BE INTRIGUING, TO SLIP PAST THE ANESTHESIS OF EXPECTATIONS AND RAISE THE EYEBROWS A LITTLE.
THEY HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. WITHOUT THIS THERE’S NOWHERE TO START, AND AS EVERY TRIP WILL FIND SOME DEGREE OF ‘TYPE 3 FUN’ WE TRY TO APPEAL TO THIS FACULTY ABOVE ALL OTHERS.
THEY GET IRONY. THE COSMIC JOKE PLAYS OUT NOWHERE MORE THAN ON EXPEDITION WHERE VERY LARGE FACTORS GET TO PLAY WITH OUR FRAGILE MINDS.
THEY PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. WITHOUT THIS FACULTY NO ONE LASTS LONG AS A CLIMBER, SO WE TARGET IT WITH DESIGN IDEAS AND ODDBALL FONTS TO INVITE CLOSER INSPECTION.
THEY WEAR HELMETS. THIS IS LIKE HAVING A CAR BUMPER ON YOUR FOREHEAD, AND EVERY PHOTO THESE DAYS JUST BEGS TO HAVE A STICKER SLAPPED FOR AND CENTER ON A CLIMBERS HEAD. HELMETS LOOK BETTER WITH STICKERS
THEY ARE CYNICAL. OUR PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY’RE BEING CONNED, SO WE PRESENT RAW, REAL AND COMPLEX INFORMATION, SO THEY CAN COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE SUBJECTS WE ARE DEALING WITH. WE KNOW WE BATTLE AGAINST A WALL OF PROPAGANDA OVER THE PLACES WE GO AND THE THINGS WE DO, AND WE OFFER A LIGHT FOR THOSE WHO SEE PAST IT AND WANT TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE NICHE-ISTS. THIS STUFF IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY, SO WE AIM TO FILTER OUT THE GENERAL INDUSTRY AS SOON AS WE CAN. IF THE GREATER MOUNTAINEERING WORLD DOESN’T SIT RIGHT WITH YOU, YOU MAY HAVE FOUND YOUR PLACE HERE.
THEY HANG OUT. CLIMBING IS INTIMATE, AND THE RIGHT SHIRT IN THE RIGHT CROWD, LUBRICATED WITH COFFEE, WINE AND CHATTER INITIATES A FEEDBACK LOOP WHERE REAL CONTACT IS MADE.
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NOW THIS IS ALL VERY RUDIMENTARY IN MARKETING TERMS, BASICALLY THE MODEL OF EVERY PUNK BAND THAT NEVER GOT FAMOUS. THE THRILL HERE IS NOT TO MAKE MILLIONS, BUT TO SEE YOUR OWN BRAND ON SOMEONES BUMPER, AND KNOW THAT THAT ONE PERSON VALUES IT MORE THAN THE LEGIONS OF INSTA-LIKERS. THIS IS WHY WE BARELY HAVE A PRESENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE THE VALUE SYSTEM THERE JUST DOESN’T TRANSLATE INTO EXPEDITIONS. NOTE THAT NONE OF THE ATTRIBUTES LISTED ABOVE DESCRIBE SOCIAL MEDIA.
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OUR BRAND LENDS ITSELF TO IMAGES, DISPLAYED IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES DISCUSSION, AND WITH THAT ENVIRONMENT BEING WHAT IS CALLED ‘HIGH CONTEXT’, ie WHERE LOTS OF THINGS CAN SAFELY BE ASSUMED. AS OUR AIM IS TO FORM TEAMS FOR THINGS LIKE HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START, AND THAT SOME STICKERS AND A SHIRT IS A GOOD WAY TO IDENTIFY ONESELF FOR OTHERS TO KICK OFF A CONVERSATION THAT CAN LEAD TO THE GREATEST PLACES ON EARTH.
TO GET THE SHIRT YOU HAVE TO JOIN THE TEAM, NOT OUT OF ANY ‘NOT FOR SALE’ ELITISM, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE WE PRINT ON DEMAND FOR THE EXACT NUMBERS WHO JOIN AND SUPPORT US. IF YOU SEE OUR TEAM SHIRTS OR STICKERS OUT THERE THEN BE SURE YOU ARE SEEING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ON THE REAL THING, KNOWINGLY STEPPING AWAY FROM THE UGLY WORLD THAT COMMERCIAL MOUNTAINEERING HAS BECOME. TO HAVE THE STICKER OR SHIRT IS TO HAVE PARTAKEN IN AN IDEA, AND MADE A CHANGE WHERE OTHERS CHOSE ONLY TO COMPLAIN OR COMPLY.
EVERY SHIRT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH A CONTRIBUTION TO SNOW LEOPARD RESEARCH AND PROTECTION, AND THE COMPANIES DISPLAYED ARE THOSE WHO WE ENGAGE WITH AND ADVOCATE BECAUSE THEY MAKE GOOD STUFF, GIVE A SHIT, ARE GOOD TO WORK WITH AND SOLVE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS WE HAVE ON OUR TRIPS.
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IN THE END, IT’S NOT ACTUALLY THE BRAND THAT MATTERS, BEING SIMPLY THE LENS THROUGH WHICH REAL EXPERIENCE HAPPENS. WE DON’T INHABIT THE SPACE THE BIG COMPANIES DO ANY MORE THAN THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS EVER SHARED A STAGE WITH U2 – BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO. OUR NICHE AS WE SEE IT IS TO GET THE RIGHT CLIMBERS INTO THE RIGHT PLACES SO EXPEDITION ALPINISM CAN EVOLVE PAST, OR THROUGH, OR AROUND THE LIMITATIONS OF THE TIMES. WE’VE WATCHED AS MASS MARKETING TO POPULAR THINKING HAS TURNED OUR HIGHEST PEAKS INTO OPEN SEWERS AND REALITY TV SETS, SO AIM TO PROTECT WHAT’S LEFT BY GETTING THE WORD OUT IN A BETTER WAY.