R E I : N O D E S T I N A T I O N
O B J E C T I V E S
REI corporate wanted to be more involved in local communities and partner with local makers and artists in a way that was relevant to fashion-forward, environmentally conscious urbanites in cities like Portland, Austin, San Francisco and Seattle.
T H E B R I E F
A sub-brand felt appropriate given that REI is a large company that can support smaller brands underneath it. This allows REI to explore other audiences while staying true to their core values.
This new brand emphasizes the unique and eccentric stories across the American landscape. By researching early American explorers, immigrant cultures and vintage roadside attractions, we arrived at the name, No Destination.
T H E M A N T R A
I T ' S A L L A B O U T T H E J O U R N E Y
What is adventure without the unexpected? Every mark, every imperfection tells a story. It’s not the plans you set out with, it’s the journey that unfolds in front of you. REI: No Destination champions the curious, the dreamers, the wanderers, the path less taken. Because after all, isn’t life just what happens along the way?
P R O C E S S
Through research, moodboards were developed around early 1900's hobo language, outsider art, punk rock posters, 90's fashion, early explorers of the American west, slave communities and vintage roadside attractions. With those inputs, the stylescapes were created to inform the brand elements.
A C T I V A T I O N
Posters and murals encourage customers to download the REI No Destination app. The app guides them on a journey a few hours outside selected cities, ultimately bringing them to an REI No Destination pop-up shop.
The app first directs them to the nearest participating REI where they pick up a custom journal from a branded VW Bus parked outside the store. The journal serves as a guide and a record of their trip, suggesting things to take note of and explore.
The app leads them to locations further afield. Along the way they are encouraged to stop and explore hidden and forgotten places that are part of the rich tapestry in their particular region. The final stop is an old building (such as an abandoned gas station) that REI converts into a pop-up shop.
The pop-up shop features products specific to the No Destination brand as well as collaborative products designed by local artists and makers.
