The North Face is looking to turn Earth Day, which is celebrated on 22 April, into an official public holiday. To lend added weight to its aspirations, the outdoor brand is set to keep its 113 stores in the United States closed on the day, to enable all workers and customers to “disconnect”.
Stores remain closed
The outdoor brand has launched a campaign to see ‘Earth Day’ officially recognised as a public holiday. The campaign is set to end on 22 April, culminating in a striking move: on the day, the chain will keep all of its 113 North American stores closed. Staff at the company’s global headquarters have also been given the day off.
With this action, the company is encouraging its employees and its customers to switch off from the digital world and to go out exploring, The North Face states in a press release. Global General Manager of Lifestyle Tim Bantle explains that his company believes that when people take the time to appreciate the Earth, they will feel more connected with our planet and will be more inclined to protect it.
Connecting with the world at large
The campaign, dubbed Explore Mode, intends to get people to connect with the ‘real world’, with one another and with themselves, rather than living in the digital realm, in a bid to help the world move forward. As part of the campaign for Earth Day, The North Face is also working with musicians, artists and culinary influencers, who are invited to create experiences that encourage people to switch off from all things digital and to get in touch with their surroundings, the company says. Model and activist Gabrielle Richardson for instance is curating an art exhibition in New York, which takes ‘exploration’ as its central theme. Visitors will be able to set off on an interactive journey of exploration.
Earth Day was first held in 1970 in the United States and is now celebrated in nearly every country around the globe. The focal point – as shown by The North Face’s campaign – however continues to be the US.
