The North Face announces campaign for equity in the outdoors, launches council

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 16, 2020

VF-owned outdoor brand The North Face has announced the launch of 'Reset Normal', a global initiative intended to address inequity in the outdoor industry and community.  

As part of the initiative, the brand will be launching the Explore Fund Council, a global fellowship "with the goal of bringing together passionate experts across culture, entertainment, academia and the outdoors to develop ideas and potential scalable solutions to help support access to exploration."

The council will launch with inaugural members Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, producer and actor Lena Waithe, as well as Jimmy Chin, The North Face Global athlete, climber, and Academy Award-winning director.

"For me, exploration has always been a mindset," said Waithe. "As a creative I see myself as a constant, curious explorer and I believe everyone can have and should have access to this right."

"The only real way to see change happen is by helping to create it yourself. I'm excited to work with The North Face and all of the Explore Fund Council members so our collective perspectives can help diversify the outdoors and make it a more equal place for all." 

A full Explore Fund Council group of creatives, academic experts, outdoor industry partners and more is set to be put in place and announced in the spring of 2021. The insights presented by the group will help guide how The North Face distributes a total of $7 million to organizations focused on building equity in the outdoors. 

According to The North Face, communities of color are three times more likely to live in nature-deprived places and often face racism and other systemic challenges in the outdoors community. To battle this issue, the Explore Fund Council's first goal will be to help create more culturally relevant exploration opportunities and connect diverse communities to the benefits of exploration. 

"Throughout my life, exploration has been a constant source of positivity," Chin said. 

"I truly believe it is part of what makes us all human, and that exploration can bring people together and change lives. Not everyone has the same access to or opportunity for outdoor adventure. This is an issue I'm excited to take on alongside The North Face and the other Explore Fund Council members."

The Reset Normal campaign will launch with a film by Sid Lee, featuring a voiceover by Waithe and music by Aloe Blacc.