Columbia Gives the Shirt Off Their Back

In partnership with IGT Studio & Columbia Sportswear, Farm League directors Janssen Powers and Chris Malloy deliver a new series of films representing the brand's strong ties to nature.

For over 85 years, Columbia has been an industry leader in designing gear made for the outdoors, and this new campaign messaging is built from their love for nature fueling their legacy. Farm League collaborated with agency IGT Studio in a partnership of like minds, with both teams bringing a passion for telling stories inspired by the outdoors and the many lifestyles dedicated to it. 

From the early ideation phase for "Shirt Off Our Back" -- a film dedicated to the Silver Ridge Utility shirt -- Janssen Powers sought to tell a humanized story focused on Columbia's respect for nature and their endless pursuit to create smart and reliable products driven by that respect. This ethos comes to life through the relationship of the designer and the mannequin, who experience countless natural elements together over the course of the film -- all in effort to perfect the shirt for future adventurers.

"It was important to me that we tell the story of a product inspired by and designed for the outdoors. We weren’t easy on the shirt. We blasted it with sand, drenched it in water, and hauled it through the mountains. It was a lot of fun to explore how the shirt itself could become a visual reflection of the environment for which it was designed."

- Janssen Powers

Set against the backdrop of the sweeping Chilean mountains, the film tells a deeply personal story of Columbia's dedication to their craft while seamlessly cultivating a sense of wonder for the locations they explore. Nature is a theme Janssen frequently returns to in his work; his thoughtful approach and deep understanding for what fuels an adventurous spirit form his signature style - equal parts intimate and awe-inspiring. The familiar and the fantastic.

'Shirt Off Our Back' is the third installment of Farm League's recent work with Columbia, following up Janssen's 'Be The Goat' and Chris Malloy's 'Angler's Anthem.' 

Filming in Belize, Chris teamed up with elite fishing talent including Wesley Locke, Bear Holeman and Cindy Nguyen to capture the kinship shared among the fishing community, with the larger goal of advocating to protect the natural spaces they share long into the future. Chris, a former pro surfer who now owns and operates a ranch in Central California, represents a legacy of respect for wild spaces and always aims to show the symbiotic connection between humans and nature in his work.

The second film from Janssen, "Be the Goat," was also filmed in Chile and shows the bond between nature and human in a slightly different way -- How we can replicate the natural world to enjoy it a little better ourselves? Or in other words: How to literally be the goat. The film combines incredible archival footage of goats paralleled with the ways we try to copy nature's most accomplished climbers through our choice in footwear. The filming process was highlighted by sneaking in a few scenes with an actual trained goat, although turns out the training doesn't mean a whole lot. Ultimately, goats will be goats.

Read more on the campaign on Shots!