Canada Goose Campaign Embraces "Friluftsliv"

Canada Goose and Publicis London have launched the Toronto outerwear company’s first European campaign, focusing on the Nordic “friluftsliv” philosophy.

A Norwegian word that loosely translates to “free air life,” friluftsliv is about embracing nature. At the center of the campaign is a nine-minute documentary that follows three outdoorsy Scandinavians as they run through the forests of northern Sweden, explore abandoned buildings in Copenhagen, and fish in Norway’s waters.

Though the brand isn’t mentioned until the end — the company’s logo pops up next to the words “Made in Canada, Worn in Scandinavia” — the subjects are wearing Canada Goose throughout, emphasizing how warm the clothes are. The fisherwoman, in particular, filmed her segment off the coast of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, halfway from the country’s mainland to the North Pole.

“As we learned more about the philosophy of friluftsliv, we felt immediately connected to its meaning, as we share that inherent desire to be connected to the natural world around us,” says Kevin Spreekmeester, global chief marketing officer at Canada Goose. “The FreeAirLife campaign provides us with a natural platform to explore what friluftsliv looks like today through the eyes of three amazing individuals, and invites everyone to examine and embrace the philosophy for themselves.”

Canada Goose is focused on Scandinavia because the brand has been particularly popular in that market for more than 20 years. In addition to the YouTube video, which was directed by Danish filmmaker Daniel Kragh-Jacobsen, the documentary will also run on digital outdoor screens in Stockholm and Copenhagen’s city centers. The campaign will also have print and experiential elements at ski resorts and airports.