The 12 Best Outdoor Brand Marketing Campaigns in China

Radar Report #8 features insights into the 12 best Outdoor brand campaigns in China and the 4 marketing trends driving their success.

Outdoor brands are redefining urban culture through four trends: blending city landmarks with cultural experiences, integrating nature into urban settings, targeting Gen Z with trendy tech, and building communities through social media and influencers.

Brands covered: The North Face, Nike, Balenciaga, Columbia, Salomon, Anta, ARC'TERYX, Descente, ON, Player, Take Your Time, and Weekly Sports.

Trend 1: City Culture

Salomon China-exclusive collection launched with a Gaoligong Mountain pop-up, partnered with Starbucks. Featuring eco-friendly items and Yunnan coffee, the event included shadow puppetry and garnered over 200K reads and 40K engagements on WeChat and RED.

ANTA and National Geographic launched the "Run Beyond Boundaries" series at Hainan's Diaoluo Mountain. Featuring outdoor athletes and bloggers, the campaign showcased unique landscapes and ANTA's Air Jacket. Promoted with the hashtag #RunBeyondBoundaries, it garnered 28M views and 134K engagements on Weibo and RED.

Columbia celebrated local hiking culture with new ambassador Jiang Qiming. They showcased his urban and mountain experiences through videos and stories, launching the hashtags #RunBeyondBoundaries and #SpringTravelJiang on Weibo and RED, gaining 152M views. The campaign, featuring a pop-up with % ARABICA, achieved 3.7M views and 21K engagements.

Trend 2: Urban Outdoor

The North Face and CLOT launched the "Polar Night Unsleeping" collection with a Shanghai pop-up featuring a 3D light show, dance, and music. Promoted on Weibo and RED with #StreetBuzz and #EndlessNight, the campaign got 28M views, 1.3M reads, and 2K engagements.

ARC'TERYX opened its largest flagship store, ARC'TERYX Museum, on Nanjing West Road in Shanghai. Inspired by Vancouver's Coast Mountains, it features four themed areas, regular product displays, and special events like the Alpha SV Evolution Exhibition. Promoted with #ArcteryxMuseum and #AlphaSV on Weibo, the campaign reached 3.2 million views and over 25K engagements.

Descente opened a new Shanghai store with an "Ice and Snow Innovation Arena" to attract outdoor enthusiasts. Featuring a digital "ICE CUBE," the space offers workshops and snowy experiences. Promoted with #DescenteIceAndSnowArena on Weibo and RED, the campaign, featuring William Chan, garnered 3.2 million views.

Trend 3: New Gen

ON launched "On Energy Station" in Shanghai, blending neuroscience, music, and running. The pop-up featured music workshops and a running energy experiment, promoted with #KeepTheFeeling on Weibo and RED. The campaign, featuring DJ Wordy and athlete Jingya He, garnered 1.5M views and 18K engagements.

Nike launched "Dynamic Land" in Chengdu for its new Air Max series, featuring interactive sports, fashion shows, and live rap performances. Promoted with #MaxUp on Weibo, WeChat, and RED, the campaign included UGC contests and DIY customization booths. The event attracted nearly 60 million views across social media platforms.

Balenciaga launched a virtual skiing game to promote its new skiwear collection, targeting trendy youth on Weibo, WeChat, and RED. Players could equip avatars, complete challenges, and earn brand-exclusive wallpapers and stickers. Promoted with #BalenciagaSkiwear, the campaign involved popular KOLs and garnered nearly 40M views across social media.

Trend 4: Community

PLAYER, Shanghai's leading outdoor club, partnered with ASICS, Keep, and Red's "Little Beauty Spokes" for tailored outdoor activities. They hosted hiking, cycling, and social events, promoting hashtags #RewildingDelicacies and #WildernessAwakening, garnering 1.4M reads. Collaborations included ASICS for hiking, Keep for cycling, and Red for beauty and sports, attracting over 300M reads.

Take Your Time, a Shenzhen-based outdoor community, partnered with Timberland, Salomon, and Benlai for local events. They organized a coast-to-coast hike, mountain hikes, and parent-child nature walks, promoting hashtags like #OutdoorShenzhenTrip, #HikingwithSalomon, and #BenlaiComfortable. These events garnered millions of reads and strong local engagement.

Weekly Sports, a Chinese outdoor community on RED, collaborates with brands for outdoor activities. They partnered with Lafuma for mountain hikes, garnering 3.4M views. Collaborating with Surpine for Earth Day cleanups, they achieved over 300K views. Their #WeeklySportsCommunity hashtag earned 1M views, and their "Little Beauty Spokes" event drew 29.5K views.

Resonance is a digital / social media marketing agency based in Shanghai, China. Our service is “everything digital x social marketing”. We’ve been around since 2008 and have done great work for many of the world’s most well-known lifestyle brands. Visit us on the web or email us to find out more.

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