To celebrate the arrival of its new Peakfreak hiking shoe, Columbia Sportswear has launched the F££T FUND, offering hikers cold hard cash for photos of their feet.
F££T FUND
The social campaign, created by adam&eve/TBWA taps into the booming feet pics business, predicted to be worth £1.9 billion by the end of the year (Statista), by giving away cash for photos of bare feet taken in the wilderness. But unlike the rest of the internet, Columbia isn’t interested in tootsies in the wikiFeet sense, it’s focused on what great footwear can do for them.
The campaign kicks off with a series of teasers across social platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Then, outdoor influencers will share screenshots of what appears to be a private direct message from Columbia asking them for feet pics. The messages are real.
To reveal what’s actually going on, creator James Norbury has published an unboxing video with a difference. Rather than using their hands, they are unboxing a pair of the new Peakfreak hiking shoes using only their feet.
View this post on Instagram
Shoes are lifted from the box with toes. Tissue paper is peeled back with feet. The creator campaign, which is running across markets in EMEA, culminates with Columbia announcing that it’s officially paying for feet pics.
To enter the F££T FUND, followers simply need to DM Columbia a photo of their bare feet taken outdoors on a hike. Selected entries will receive a £135 payment directly from Columbia, enough to purchase a pair of Peakfreak shoes to protect their most prized assets.
Winning entries will be featured in the Hall of Feet, a social gallery celebrating the finest examples of trail-tested toes.
“We designed the new Peakfreak to keep hikers comfortable across long journeys, challenging terrains and unpredictable conditions”, said Issam Djemel, Europe Footwear Director.
“But instead of talking about our innovations in cushioning, traction and support, we’re shining a spotlight on the thing the shoe is built to protect – your feet.”
Ant Nelson, Chief Creative Officer at adam&eve\TBWA, said: “Hikers proudly share snaps of mountain summits and epic views, but the feet that carried them there rarely get any recognition. The F££T FUND is here to change that.
“Stepping away from the standard glossy, earnest outdoor ads, Columbia is making a pedicured pivot, once again proving that its gear really is Engineered For Whatever.”