With the “Expedition Impossible” challenge, the US outdoor brand Columbia Sportswear calls for people to find the edge of the earth with a wink. Anyone who can prove that the earth is flat gets everything that belongs to the company. This refers to the company “The Company, LLC” with assets of $100,000.
The idea of what this edge must look like is relatively clear: “The edge of the earth is the visible, physical end of the earth. We are talking here about an infinite abyss, an abyssal void, clouds that stretch to infinity,” says the press release. What is not enough is “a cliff in Seattle or a dead end in Kansas,” writes Columbia.
Expedition Impossible Challenge
The Expedition Impossible Challenge launches with an open letter from Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, in the New York Times and on the company’s social media channels. In it, he throws down the gauntlet to all conspiracy theorists who believe in a flat earth, declaring: “This is a message to flat earthers. I’ve seen your manifestos, admired your diagrams, and watched you stand proudly on your, well, flat ground. So, here’s the deal: It’s time to let the evidence follow.
Introducing Expedition Impossible, our boldest challenge yet. Our equipment is designed for all eventualities. That’s why I invite you to do what no one in history has ever done: find the edge of the Earth. If you actually find him, take a photo, send it to us and you can’t just brag about it. You get everything that belongs to the company. Everything. The mannequins, coffee machines, snowshoes, sleighs, office plants, even the stuffed beaver in the cafeteria. Everything is yours.”
Return to your own tradition
With the playful action – which could also be assumed to have a certain political tone – the company wants to remind people that Columbia produces equipment that is robust enough for every trip. The campaign builds on Columbia Sportswear’s newly launched “Engineered for Whatever” brand platform, which Columbia will align with for the next ten years, while continuing the company’s previous tradition of somewhat irreverent, humorous marketing campaigns. Commenting on the launch of the rebrand, Boyle said in September 2025: “Over the years, the outdoor category has become a sea of monotony. With our new campaign, we’re returning to our roots: being unabashedly different – and even a little crazy. We’re returning to the irreverent, confident tone that made us known as a global brand.”
