JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The miles you’ve put on, the sights you’ve seen, and the adventures you have been on while trekking in the Jackson Hole wild country. If only your pair of hiking boots could talk.
Well, now, maybe they can.
Clio Awards is reporting an interesting idea launched as a pilot program last year by the Travel & Tourism Board: Jackson Hole-made boots that leave messages for other hikers.
“It’s the next step in eco-conscious leave-behinds,” writes Clio’s David Gianatasio.
The custom hiking boots would spread the campaign message ‘Tread on the Trail’ by actually imprinting those words via specially-designed tread that would also include ‘The Wild Rules’ and other branding messages unique to Jackson Hole.
Last fall, the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board fitted a pair of Red Wing Vasque hiking boots with the 3-D messaging soles and had staffers traverse dozens of miles in them. It served as a reminder for visitors to avoid traipsing through the woods and upsetting the fragile ecosystem.
“We were looking to get the message out without adding to the visual clutter,” says Dustin Black, group creative director at agency Colle McVoy, which devised the initiative. “We also knew the message couldn’t be too far off the trail, because the decision to go off happens so spontaneously.”
With pandemic-weary folks seeking solace in the great outdoors, local tourism rose 30 percent last year. But hikers frequently wandered off designated paths, spurring Colle McVoy to find new ways to catch their attention.
The agency worked with National Geographic to tout the ‘Tread on the Trail’ initiative as part of its broader ‘Stay Wild’ campaign for Jackson Hole.
“So far, the effort has garnered some local buzz, but ultimately we’re hoping to find a partner to help us take the idea further,” Black says. He believes a such a line would spark conversation and help folks remember where to hike, long after the actual messages fade from sight.
“We can only make a difference with a lot of smaller gestures that have the potential to raise awareness,” Black says. “This is one of those smaller gestures. By trying a lot of different things, big and small, we hope people will think twice when they travel—wherever that may be.”
Leave no tracks- including your political messages…thats the cry! That is unless you dont mind what words my boots are laying down on your favorite trail….. more liberal silliness to make money at the expense of our public lands.