SOG

SOG

Uncharted Summer Brand Campaign

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SOG Brand intelligence

Campaign Development

Established Brand Charts New Course

Since 1986, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools has risen to prominence among military, tactical and first responder professionals. As the company grew on the strength of this reputation, it began to diversify its product offering with tools for outdoor lovers and adventurers. But how do we reach them? Social media was the obvious answer, but most platforms don’t allow the advertisement of weapons. Beyond that, the question remained of how best to speak to this audience and stand out in a highly crowded market space.

To enter the outdoor space, we needed to change the lens. The challenge was to do this while keeping the brand’s spirit of innovation and design intact. Looking through their camp axes, folding wood saws, and flint fire starters, we started piecing together the story of how SOG supplies the tools for adventure.

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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Go Further

Getting to “The Why”

It is critical for adventurers and survivalists to choose wisely when figuring out what to take with them, and what to do without. Every ounce counts, and each piece of gear must justify its weight. With multiple uses designed into every tool and blade, SOG lets you do more with less, which in turn lets you go further. And isn’t that the goal?

Nature is the antithesis of easy. It tests you, and it pushes you to reach beyond your limits. It’s painful, and even the smallest mistake can be catastrophic. But it’s also beautiful and rewarding. When you finally reach these places, both without and within, it all becomes worthwhile. It’s something few of us get to experience. It’s uncharted territory.

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LET WANDERLUST BURN BRIGHT

Enter SOG: Uncharted

We crafted our campaign around the idea that elite tools lay the groundwork for these remarkable experiences. SOG takes you further, but we didn’t expect anybody to just believe it. Instead, we challenged them to see for themselves. The plan was to invite explorers and survivalists to share and promote where they went and what they found, with SOG along for the ride to help enable the adventure.

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SOG Uncharted branding marketing campaign SOG Uncharted branding marketing campaign
SOG Uncharted brand campaign Design SOG Uncharted brand campaign Design
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Drag

Plotting the Course

To drive engagement among an audience unfamiliar with the brand, we knew the creative had to be compelling; it had to excite and inspire. A campaign Style Guide for SOG Uncharted demonstrated the best methods of telling the story in words, pictures and video.

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MAKE YOUR MARK

Digital Strategy

Executing the Strategy

Over the course of 4 months, SOG Uncharted deployed across social media, with animated & static digital banner ads, email flows, print assets, and micro landing pages. By positioning the products as tools for adventure, we were able to stay within advertising guidelines and reach a wider audience across a range of platforms.

The message was to leave your comfort zone behind in favor of true adventure. Partnered social influencers took to their feeds, telling stories of where SOG has taken them, and priming our audience to tell their own. The hashtag #SOGuncharted gave users the opportunity to share their experiences, driving audience engagement and establishing SOG as the premier utility brand for uncharted adventures.

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Web Display
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THE WILD IS CALLING
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START YOUR CHAPTER #SOGUNCHARTED
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DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS
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SPARKING ENGAGEMENT
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FIND OUR WORK ON @SOGKNIVESANDTOOLS

Results

Uncharted was the foot in the door that SOG needed to become accepted as an elite brand in the outdoor space. Their social media grew and drove a spike in orders from newly-initiated outdoorsmen aspiring to live their own adventures. Even though sales were not the direct goal of this campaign, it was demonstrated that the new audience had taken notice of SOG.

As an added bonus, the campaign’s message also ignited SOG itself, generating excitement throughout the team and inspiring them to continue innovating the best outdoor equipment the world has yet to see!
Services
Brand Intelligence
  • Research + Discovery
  • Naming + Logo Design
  • Brand Strategy + Development
Creative Development
  • Creative Dev + Messaging
  • Brand Asset Creation
  • Photo + Video Production
Growth Marketing
  • Reporting + Analytics
  • Marketing Activation Plans