Aimed at making the sport of climbing more accessible and inclusive, The North Face will launch a global brand campaign that asks people to rethink the way they look at walls. “Walls are places where people in the climbing community come together to test themselves, build trust and strengthen communities. Walls aren’t meant to divide us, they unite us. Walls are meant for climbing,” said a press release.
To celebrate the campaign’s launch and to highlight the connections formed through climbing, The North Face will be making a $1 million donation to The Trust for Public Land to support public climbing walls in more communities, with a focus on underserved areas and making the sport more accessible to all.
“At The Trust for Public Land, our mission is to create parks and protect land for people,” said Trust for Public Land President Will Rogers. “Every park we create is an open invitation for all to enjoy, and we’re proud to say we’ve connected communities to the outdoors — and to each other — since 1972. We’re happy to partner with The North Face to make climbing more accessible to more people in neighborhoods nationwide.”
The North Face is also partnering with gyms and facilities worldwide to make August 19 a global day of climbing, with free climbing opportunities in cities in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico and China.
For every person who walks through the door of one of these participating gyms, The North Face will make a $5 donation (up to $50,000) to Paradox Sports, an organization committed to making climbing accessible to people with physical disabilities. Additional climbing activities with athletes will take place in New York, Shanghai and London.
“The North Face has been a passionate partner to the world’s climbing community for more than 50 years,” said Tom Herbst, global vice president of marketing at The North Face. “We see walls as a place to unite our communities through the sport of climbing – a sport that requires trust and partnership. Our climbing community is truly global and we believe that communities are stronger when inclusive. Our intent is to inspire others to think more hopefully about the type of community we all want to work and play in.”
Photo courtesy The North Face
