
Arc'teryx
Located in Canadian Coast Mountain wilderness, Arc'teryx is built on the principle of obsessive, precise design and production. The pursuit of perfection.

MY ROLE
Along with one other strategist, we completed a 2 week sprint conceptualizing, performing user research and analysis, coming up with a design and brand strategy, and creating touchpoints the Arc’teryx Brand can engage with.
The Challenge
We wanted to generate a strategy for Arc’teryx brand based on cultural trends to increase target demographic engagement and brand cultural relevance in 2 weeks.​
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Our goal was to reframe the Arc’teryx brand making it more appealing, engaging, and culturally relevant to their consumers.
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Our high level goals were to:
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Emphasize the concept of decolonizing Gorp-core
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Empower indigenous communities through product showcases and in-person learning experiences
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Reframe Arc'teryx brand as a cultural hub
UNDERSTANDING THE BRAND AND CONSUMER
To better understand the outdoor brand’s mission, target demographic, and current touchpoints, Anusha and I analyzed the brand guidelines and scoured articles online, coming up with keywords that best describes the brand: Design, Craftsmanship, and Performance.


THE RESEARCH
Breaking Down Existing Brand Archetypes
In order to craft a better brand strategy, we used the existing brand values to create a targeted brand archetype of the consumer.
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Since the Arc’teryx brand was clean, conscientious, and based on high performance adventure and fashion, we came up with two different archetypes: The Adventurist Perfectionist and the Style Conscious Adventurer defined by more utilitarian, simplistic, and gorp core principles.




DIVING DEEPER
How are Existing Brand Archetypes Perceived in the Current Social Climate?
Anusha and I analyzed these brand archetypes, aiming to uncover how they were perceived and where they might spark social dissent. We identified four key areas:
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1. Accessibility
2. Inclusivity & diversity
3. Sustainability
4. Cultural appreciation
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By examining the gaps and challenges within these categories, we uncovered potential drawbacks and used them to reveal new, emergent brand archetypes. These insights helped us envision future brand touchpoints where brands could evolve, better connect with their audiences, and address social concerns, and ultimately, evolve in a way that felt more authentic and meaningful.


UNDERSTANDING THE CONSUMER
Authenticity and Meaning: Emergent Brand Archetype
Based on our analysis of the existing brand archetypes, we defined an Emergent Brand Archetype with our new brand strategy: The Empowered Anarchist.
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​The Empowered Anarchist plays on the concept of decolonizing gorp-core and reallocating power to indigenous communities and minority cultures that originally inhabited the lands. Anusha and I strategized that this archetype could address all key areas (accessibility, inclusivity and diversity, sustainability, and cultural appreciation) and transform their retail space into an authentic, culturally-aware, people-first space.


Addressing the 4 key areas to evolve the Arc'teryx brand into an authentic, cultural hub.
EXPLORING AUTHENTICITY
In our brainstorm session, we zeroed in on a campaign theme centered around Authenticity and Meaning. We imagined ways to convey this through various mediums:
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Mixed Reality: Imagine using mixed reality to immerse users in sustainability practices. This could include training sessions on environmental awareness and learning about indigenous practices for the natural spaces they’re about to explore, guided by an indigenous Arc'teryx spokesperson.​​


Culture Hub: We also envisioned a Culture Hub that blends outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, and skiing with streetwear, music, and emerging athletes from minority communities. This hub would serve as a space for minority integration and the celebration of outdoor culture.



Community: Lastly, we focused on community empowerment. Acknowledging that Gorp-core has been dominated by white-cis males, we aimed to create spaces that empower underrepresented communities, ensuring accessibility for people of lesser means and offering benefits to minority groups. This part of the campaign emphasizes learning, connection, and inclusivity.


We expect these three brand touch points to enhance the brand relevance and create a space for Arc'teryx to expand as a cultural hub while supporting and empowering indigenous communities.
Based on these new user flows, I was able to envision Aiva as a tool that could be used as both proactively AND reactively to better educate users, identify problems, and solve user issues in the overall Amazonian daily experience.