Getting Back to Its Roots

Something must have been in the water in 2001. In January, ROOTS ROOTS GETTING Roots announced a branded vitamin line to help round out the “It’s not a man company’s image as a “purveyor of positive.” purse, it’s called In February it announced it was launching Roots Air as a satchel. Indiana a competitor to Air Canada. The flight service would be Jones wears one.” New-to-the- suspended less than a month after its March launch when plane BACK Roots got some Canadian-market operator and Roots partner Skyservice hit financial turbulence. good coverage in Target tapped TO ITS 2009 when its bag Roots as its first The Jamaican Olympic was sported by limited-time-offer ROOTS bobsled team arrived in Zack Galifianakis’ partner for a Canada for the Calgary ROOTS character Alan in sweats line for the The ’80s saw Roots’ Games sans winter apparel, The Hangover. Great White North. first foray into so Roots outfitted the team Roots became the celebrity in the 1993 A home furnishing ROOTS non-fashion terrain in cold-weather gear. The line is set to hit Touchstone Pictures ROOTS There’S SOMETHING ICONIC ABOUT CANADIAN with the introduction brand got a cameo via John Target in fall 2013. movie Indian Summer, ROOTS CLOTHING COMPANY ROOTS. MAYBE IT’S THE BEAVER of a (still ongoing) Candy’s jacket in the famous furniture and a (now- staring Alan Arkin, movie about the team, ROOTS LOGO, PERHAPS IT’S THE SIGNATURE OUTDOOR defunct) canoe line, Cool Runnings. Bill Paxton and Kevin THEMES IN ITS CAMPAIGNS OR IT COULD EVEN BE THE a joint venture with Pollak, based on the Beaver Canoe. founders’ experience UBIQUITOUS SWEATSHIRT YOU SPENT YOUR COLLEGE at the Algonquin camp 2013 DAYS IN. REVISIT THE COMPANY’S 40-YEAR HISTORY where they first met. ALONG THE ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK TRAIL ROOTS – where fOUNDERS MICHAEL BUDMAN AND DON 2009 2010 GREEN FIRST MET – and fOLLOW ROOTS’ BRILLIANT AND SOMETIMES STRANGE JOURNEY. 2000sROOTS 1990s Roots gets electric with 1988 BY MEGAN HAYNES ROOTS author Douglas Coupland, 1980s who was invited to design a 1986 The new millennium brought special (and vibrant) line of ROOTS Budman and Green star in their The first ad The ’90s saw a flurry of (celeb-heavy) new-age thinking to the clothier, clothing and ads. Buddy the Beaver mascot was first Roots commercial, canoeing in campaign introduced marketing activity, including a ’93 with a host of new products introduced in the early ’80s, Algonquin Park, narrated by Aykroyd the slogan “City fundraiser for environmentalist David and partnerships. The company along with a kids and baby line. – a lifelong friend of the founders. Suzuki, a ’98 photo opp with the designed and outfitted Canadian Feet Need Roots.” ROOTS Budman says this princes of England (Charles, William coffee house Second Cup in an remains his favourite and Harry), and a ’97 star-studded exclusive partnership in 2001, campaign. campaign featuring soon-to-be-big and expanded its home furniture line into Sears in 2006. names like Ben Affleck and Matt ROOTS Damon. A men’s leather collection for designer Donna Karan, an eco- ROOTS friendly t-shirt with Loblaws and a logo redesign by Bruce Mau made AND BEYOND 1974 Having grown from a store with 10 employees to a 2,000-plus person ROOTS up just a handful of Roots’ creative ROOTS partnerships. ROOTS operation with more than 160 stores in 40 countries, Roots’ three-man marketing team of James Connell, VP marketing and e-commerce, Roots burst onto the fashion scene Budman and Green, stays focused on trying to reflect the best Canada 1970s ROOTS ROOTS with the negative heel shoe in 1973, has to offer, says Connell, and baking nationalism into its marketing mix. followed by its first leather bag and a ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS retail location staffed by then not-so- famous Saturday Night Live and Second ROOTS ROOTS City alum, including Dan Aykroyd, ROOTS ROOTS Martin Short and Gilda Radner (who all happened to need day jobs). LEGEND ROOTS GEAR CELEB SIGHTING NEW TRAIL MATES CAMPAIGN LAUNCH 38 www.strategyonline.ca June 2013 39.

Load more