First Ascent: How Eddie Bauer is Successfully Repositioning Their Brand

When I think of Eddie Bauer, the visual that typically comes to mind is of a khaki and button down-clad guy on his way in for Casual Fridays. Something like this:

Of late however, Eddie Bauer has been pushing something more along the lines of the rugged mountaineer:

That is the result of the launch of First Ascent, a new label for technical mountaineering wear launched under the auspices of Eddie Bauer / Whittaker Mountaineering. Having long been familiar with EB, and feeling reasonably familiar with the mountaineering credentials of the Whittaker clan, seeing the pairing at first was jarring. But here’s where I think EB is getting this right in terms of establishing their validity in the mountaineering field and launching First Ascent:

1. Tapping into a Surprisingly Deep Heritage
Who knew? It seems Eddie Bauer has been involved in expedition mountaineering for decades, though they let that aspect of their brand atrophy in recent years for whatever reason. I love how they focus on the 55 years of mountaineering history with a peak-by-peak timeline and close association with some of the sports greatest names and accomplishments.

2. Outstanding Partnership
Especially if you’re from the Pacific Northwest, the Whittaker’s are something of an institution when it comes to climbing peaks. From Jim (first employee and ex-CEO of REI, first American to summit Mt. Everest, etc) and Lou Whittaker (250+ summits of Mt. Rainier) to Whittaker Mountaineering and RMI Guides, you’d be hard pressed to find a more established family name in the business.

3. Compelling Uniqueness
Instead of churning out yet another brand of technical clothing, they went for an angle. Rugged simplicity, in effect, tying deeply into a close association with some of the biggest names in elite expedition guiding using a “Guide Built” idea. This is summarized by a nice quite from yet another Whittaker, Peter, on the First Ascent site: “What can we get rid of without compromising functionality? Bells and whistles are just extra weight. We won’t carry them.”

4. Excellent Use of Social Media
YouTube channel, Twitter feed, Facebook page, blog with open comments, all there, all regularly updated with interesting content, and all centered around a powerful story. (Bonus points for using Wordpress on the blog and actually crediting the theme in the footer)

5. Telling that Powerful Launch Story
Social media without interesting content is just so much fluff, and the team at First Ascent avoided that charge in style. They outfitted their team of guides with the full set of First Ascent gear, and sent them on up Everest, sharing the story continually through their various social media channels. The “Everest Dispatch” video blog on YouTube is a fantastic means of tying the product and brand with that ultimate challenge in mountaineering, and do it in a very real and direct way.

Combine everything, and you have a great example of an established brand reinventing themselves and building credibility with a new audience. The are building an appeal to customers who might hit Eddie Bauer for those casual friday looks, but otherwise turn to REI, North Face, and elsewhere for their weekend excursion and play gear.