American Rec Brings Pale Morning Account Exec In-House

 
Kaier’s new assignment will mark an end to Pale Morning’s nine-year run of representing American Rec brands. The Waitsfield, VT-based agency has represented Kelty since 2002 and Sierra Designs since 2009. Other American Rec brands include Ultimate Direction, Royal Robbins, Slumberjack, Wenzel and Isis.

“For the last decade, Kelty has been an ideal brand partner, and Scott has been an ideal employee,” said Drew Simmons, Pale Morning Media president and founder. “I feel a bit like a matchmaker, seeing two of my favorite people decide to make a bigger commitment to each other. As much as I’d love to continue working with both of them, I truly wish the best for their new professional relationship.”

Pale Morning Media was conceptualized and founded in the late fall of 2001, and engaged with Kelty during the 2002 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show in Anaheim, CA. Initially retained for a limited project, Pale Morning Media’s work with Kelty grew to include the full breadth of brand and product offerings, including backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, basecamping accessories, child carriers, jogging strollers, hunting gear and tactical equipment.

As Pale Morning Media’s first outdoor industry client, Kelty’s diverse brand and strong staff personality significantly shaped the path of the agency’s future growth.

“Working under the hood of a brand that has always been more focused on ‘participation’ than ‘performance’ was a significant eye-opener for me,” said Simmons. “Promoting the outdoor world as an approachable and inclusive place is something I now think about every day, in every market that Pale Morning Media supports.”

Kelty’s involvement as one of the four founding members of the Conservation Alliance also made a direct impact on Pale Morning Media. As a company and as a group of individuals, Kelty’s unwavering commitment to preserving wild places was both admirable and contagious, and prompted a long-term commitment by Pale Morning Media to wilderness and wildlife advocacy. Over the last decade, in addition to financial support of the Conservation Alliance, Pale Morning Media has provided professional support to a variety of groups including the Wilderness Land Trust, National Wildlife Federation and Vermont Wildlife Partnership.

“I distinctly remember my first Conservation Alliance breakfast, listening to the Board talk about how their original minimum contributions were set deliberately high … just to make sure that every dollar spent would ‘hurt a bit’ and remind everyone of how important the whole endeavor was,” said Simmons. “At the time, I barely had enough of an operating budget for a fax machine. But thanks to the team at Kelty, I made the decision to join that day — and I’ve never regretted it for a second.”