North Face clothing company doubles down on wokeness campaign

Last summer, the company launched a "Summer of Pride" campaign with commercials featuring drag queen "Pattie Gonia",


Within hours, angry customers began protesting and calling for a boycott. Typical customer comments:

"Can ANYONE understand what these companies are thinking? I certainly don't see myself in that ad. I don't see anything I recognize at all. It's beyond stupidity in advertising."

"Its so ridiculous it could be mistaken for satire of how not to promote a company. It’s lunacy. Bye North Face"

Most comments were a simple "Boycott North Face".


Sales have been slumping


But they're doubling down on the woke ideology, with an offer of 20% off to customers who take a "racial inclusion" course, which explains how the great outdoors are associated with white privilege. After the North Face discussion, there's a segment on "pain bias". The wokesters are now claiming that when a person of color sees a doctor, the assessment of their pain is racially biased. (I am not making this up)

The left is certainly preoccupied with segregating people based on superficial characters such as skin color.

But if Northface wants to appeal and market to these people why does it matter to everyone else? Don't like the marketing; buy a jacket from some other company, there are plenty.

They make good stuff.
Too bad I won't be buying it anymore.
Oh well.

a reply to: Dandandat3

The left is certainly preoccupied with segregating people based on superficial characters such as skin color.

To the point of insanity.

originally posted by: Dandandat3
The left is certainly preoccupied with segregating people based on superficial characters such as skin color.

But if Northface wants to appeal and market to these people why does it matter to everyone else? Don't like the marketing; buy a jacket from some other company, there are plenty.

The why is because North Face is pandering to and supporting an immoral and destructive social construct that was constructed by immoral people. That's why it matters. What the company is doing is contributing to the moral decay and eventual destruction of a society. A society divided will fall.

I know, nobody cares until it does fall though, and nobody believes that it will, until it happens.

a reply to: ColeYounger2

What the hell does that ad have to do with outdoor gear?

I find flamboyantly gay people to be downright obnoxious. It’s way over the top.

This sucks because I have like 30 pieces of North Face clothing. I don’t want to be assaulted or associated with that crap.

a reply to: ColeYounger2

It’s beyond me why companies want to weigh in and section off certain demographics of consumers.

North Face will probably be OK as them and Patagonia are big with young people and lefties… but those people would have bought anyways, this isn’t going to score huge brownie points with them more than make other consumers make a different decision. But it’s not like they’re Bud Light going after their main demographic

originally posted by: Dandandat3
The left is certainly preoccupied with segregating people based on superficial characters such as skin color.

But if Northface wants to appeal and market to these people why does it matter to everyone else? Don't like the marketing; buy a jacket from some other company, there are plenty.

There is such a thing as aiding, encouraging, and worsening absolute insanity. Which sucks for the insane, as well those that they continually screw with.

It’s easy to see how some folks would find this disagreeable. It’s bad for society.

The idea that nobody has a right to ask that their life not be polluted by the lunatics, and need to live with whatever gets thrown at or around them, is a poor one.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: ColeYounger2

It’s beyond me why companies want to weigh in and section off certain demographics of consumers.

North Face will probably be OK as them and Patagonia are big with young people and lefties… but those people would have bought anyways, this isn’t going to score huge brownie points with them more than make other consumers make a different decision. But it’s not like they’re Bud Light going after their main demographic

The upper echelon of business leaders is now saturated with sick sociopaths and narcissists, just like politics and govt.

They gravitate toward SJW and smartest boy in the room and “I’m the most loving savior of everything”.

They only care about these self-applied superlatives, not profit or product or success. The company can go to hell as long as their greatness continues to be celebrated. Then it crashes.

Good.

As long as they don't cave like some others.

a reply to: ColeYounger2

It's a little early for the June promotions. They get to it earlier and earlier every year. Pridemas needs to wait for the Easter bunny IMO. Pastels before rainbows.

I think people might run out of businesses to boycott.

But at least everyone has the power to spite the shareholders of companies that do this before it gets to that point. Sent Planet Fitness down 13.5%. Meanwhile every other major gym is saying "Please don't notice our policy on this!"

But stocks recover. Target was woke flamed in May 2023, stock was at 160 a share. It fell as far as 107, but has since recovered to 168, allowing for spiking profits and an ability to double employee bonuses.

And just in time to underemphasize the pride stuff they will put out for June. If anything they learned a lesson on moderation in virtue signaling. Scaled back versions for conservative markets.

North Face's boycott started the same time as Target. May 2023. Their stock had already fallen from 100 to 24 at that point, and mostly because of market things like purchasing power and interest rates. Their stock is kinda meandering about, as are many apparel companies currently.

It will be interesting to see the end result here. Who wins the refusal to submit battle? The company or the conservative consumer.

originally posted by: Annee
Good.

As long as they don't cave like some others.

What about pandering to the DEI and ESG racket? Isn't that caving?

a reply to: Degradation33

I'm not gonna spend money with any ocmpany that doesn't stick to their choice of support.

We can continue to live in the Dark Ages -- or we can progress -- even if it's only one company and a time that doesn't cave.

I'll never shop at JC Penny's again because of what happened with Ellen. And that store needs a serious rebranding.

North Face has had that for over 2 months here in UK.
A lady comentator on one of our news chanels did their test and she failed it.... for being white privelege. The irony is Nana Akura is a black lady, and by black I mean deep African black! She has a fabulous news programme on GBNews for 3 hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
Rainbows
Jane

originally posted by: ColeYounger2

originally posted by: Annee
Good.

As long as they don't cave like some others.

What about pandering to the DEI and ESG racket? Isn't that caving?

Fortunately, I live in California -- not some Podunk town where you're judged by what church you attend.

California where the Unruh Civil Rights Act became law in 1959.

I'm 77 and have a 16-year-old. I've watched schools and curriculums change over many, many years.

I fully support inclusion and find social interactions among kids to be more valuable than the 3 Rs. The kids are fine. They protect each other.

The adults need to but out and let them have their generation.

Never heard of North Face clothing before. Never bought any products with that name that I know of. Is it a new company or something.

Or is it even clothes, could it be tents and sporting equipment?

originally posted by: rickymouse
Never heard of North Face clothing before. Never bought any products with that name that I know of. Is it a new company or something.

Or is it even clothes, could it be tents and sporting equipment?

Just another overpriced name.

Someone needs to make an app.

I can’t remember all the companies I’m supposed to boycott at this point.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Never heard of North Face clothing before. Never bought any products with that name that I know of. Is it a new company or something.

Or is it even clothes, could it be tents and sporting equipment?

Skiiing - snowboarding - basically winterwear for sports.

I live in my North Face jacket.

It keeps out the cold -- but I don't get hot wearing it.

North Face has been having problems for years. They were purchased by VF Corp in 2000. It hasn't helped much. Claims have been made that their brand is too saturated with the same old stuff. For sure, Covid lockdowns hurt everyone. But the last year or so, they've been hit pretty hard.

In late 2023, VF Corp laid off 500 employees. Their year to date performance is still at -42.5% because of boycotts and overall declining sales.

In December 2023, they had a 'cyber incident' which led to a breach of 35.5 million consumers personal data which further hurt their bottom line as it disrupted orders which led to cancellations of product.

All their products are manufactured outside of the US.

The brands headquarters are still located where it all began in in California. In the year 2000 The North Face was acquired by VF Corporation who also look after Vans, Eastpak and Dickies to name a few. When it comes to the manufacturing of The North Face garments, VF Corporation own manufacturing facilities in a variety of countries including China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam and are made alongside the other brands that the company own.

www.thehut.com...#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20the,brands%20that%20the%20company%20own.

They are trying to get back in the game by diversifying their clientele which may be a good decision. I'm just not sure that their choice target group is their best bet. I don't see that the advertisement in the video is going to make them much money but I'm not in that business. As a consumer though, I see ads like that and it just makes them look like a big, desperately sad joke, indicating they've reached the bottom of the barrel if they expect the less than 1% of the population they are wooing to save their asses.