Columbia to evoke the spirit of Ma Boyle in fresh campaign
Columbia Sportswear has unveiled its first rebrand in 10 years with a campaign that harkens back to the brand’s spirit of the '80s and '90s when a shrewd idea from a local advertising agency made founder Gert Boyle a household name.
Styling her as the tough ‘Ma Boyle’, who tests Columbia gear on her ‘hapless’ son – including running over him with a snow plough and pushing him through a car wash to test waterproof jackets – the adverts had the right mix of humour, originality and family values to appeal to consumers.
Gert stepped down as CEO in 1998, passing the reigns to her son, Joe. She stayed on as chairwoman, a role she held until her death in 2019.
Joe Boyle, Columbia brand president, said: “Our new campaign brings us back to our roots, being unafraid to be different, and even a bit crazy. We’re going back to that irreverent, confident tone that helped put us on the map as a global brand.”
Upcoming advertising and content will spotlight outlandish scenarios and celebrity cameos in scenarios featuring crocodiles, human snowballs and the grim reaper.
Last week, the company reported revenues of nearly $1.4 billion for the first half of 2025, an increase of 3% year on year.
It also published its Impact Report, in which it stated it had exceeded 80% of its Planet Water goal of providing access to clean water for 100,000 people per day, and its employees contributed over 6,100 volunteer hours.
