That day I heard a term called "name-tag ripping." Lao Wan didn’t understand, so I asked my staff. It turned out to be a game from the show "Running Man." I checked it out, and wow, that show is really insanely popular.
In recent years, outdoor reality shows have become hugely popular. "Where Are We Going, Dad?" goes without saying. A few months ago, I watched an episode at a friend’s place—it was called something like "Two Days One Night." Five sunglasses-wearing male celebrities, two of whom I recognized: Simon Yam and Jet Li. These five guys had to push a stuck SUV out of the desert sand!
But what struck Lao Wan was this: the celebrities in outdoor reality shows aren’t the glamorous “red carpet” types, nor are they purely casual in jeans and T-shirts. Instead, they’re dressed in proper outdoor gear—and audiences have totally embraced this look.
It got Lao Wan thinking: is the era of mass outdoor participation arriving?
What sports have been trending in recent years? It used to be basketball and badminton, then hitting the gym, and in the past couple of years, everyone’s been running. Now, it’s cycling, hiking, camping, trekking… Consumers clearly prefer activities that bring them closer to nature!
Five years ago, talking to consumers about outdoor gear might’ve drawn blank stares. For hiking, wearing skate shoes was fine—because fashion, fashion, fashion. When it rained, you’d throw on a disposable raincoat, stuffy and leaky. Nowadays? For moderately tough hikes, you need proper hiking boots. For summer treks, mesh water shoes. In winter, waterproof, warm, breathable jackets. In summer, UV-protective skins. Even for badminton, outdoor quick-dry shirts work just fine—they’re breathable and comfy!
The spending power in the outdoor market is continually being unleashed, like a “trend wind,” and that’s why Camel Outdoor has taken off.
As early as October last year, Camel jackets surpassed one million units in sales. But I didn’t think it was much to celebrate—those one million units are history. The key is how to seize the future. The “wind” may be strong, but its direction can shift anytime. If you don’t keep up, you’ll fall. To ride this wind, Camel has actually done a lot:
Professional product upgrades. Last year, Camel launched the Himalaya premium series, introducing top-tier German Sympa-Tex fabric and developing our own CAMEL-Tex material.
Product segmentation. 1. Celebrity collabs: In the past couple of years, when Han Han shot ad campaigns, we made sure the hero shot of the featured item looked great—we create a Han Han collaboration piece every year. 2. Functional segmentation: Having sponsored the China Cross-Country Rally for two consecutive years, we launched sand-resistant jackets: Off-Road No.1 and No.2. 3. Cross-industry collaborations: Teamed up with Transformers to release co-branded items, attracting fans from more diverse communities.
But even that wasn’t enough.
Why not? Last year at the ISPO Expo in Beijing, I heard a story shared by a Lu Xing Zhe (Camel Hiker).
He said there are indeed many people getting into the outdoors these days—even beautiful women are joining in. He once saw a stunning woman in full professional gear who climbed up to 5,000 meters altitude—it was rare to see. At 5,000 meters, with such beautiful snowy mountain backdrops, of course she wanted photos. But before snapping those shots, what did she do? She pulled out a pretty outfit from her backpack and changed out of her all-weather jacket—braving the shivers to pose beautifully. After a few shots, her nose started running, and she quickly put the jacket back on…
Hearing this “odd tale” for the first time really confused me: you try not to carry extra clothing outdoors due to weight, let alone go through the hassle of changing. This woman wore full gear up the mountain, which shows she valued functional outdoor wear—but why trade “warmth” for “style” in photos? Can’t you take photos in a jacket?
The Lu Xing Zhe said: Boss Wan, you don’t get today’s girls—the love of beauty. Some even invented beauty cameras. Guys care about looking good too. Even you, Boss Wan, pay attention to expression and outfit when taking photos. But while you can beautify your face, you can’t beautify your clothes. Today’s jackets are either blue or red—just big blocks of color, at most two shades—not very attractive. Can’t Photoshop? Then change clothes.
I immediately called our product R&D manager over: The functionality of outdoor jackets has undeniably gained wide consumer recognition, but their aesthetics? That’s a vacuum no one’s paid attention to. Camel has been in the outdoor apparel business for so many years, sold one million jackets, yet we completely forgot—jackets can actually look better!
So even before the 2014 ISPO Expo ended, I already knew what we needed to do for 2015.
At this year’s ISPO Beijing, in addition to our professional outdoor lines, Camel Outdoor will officially launch a brand-new Fashion Outdoor product series!
And throughout this whole year, we’ve been working hard on two things: designing stylish cuts and integrating outdoor technology. The stylish designs demand bold color clashes and adventurous cuts. For a jacket that needs to be waterproof, windproof, and breathable, there are many technical hurdles and details to overcome.
Balancing fashion with function without sacrificing performance—that’s a huge challenge. But happily, all that hard work hasn’t been in vain. The first batch of Fashion Outdoor prototypes are ready. Though not in mass production yet, I can’t wait to share them with everyone.
A little teaser: after much thought, we named this series after a stunning mountain range—Alps. It’s an outdoor mecca, yet unlike the rugged, fierce Himalayas, it boasts breathtaking, elegant scenery. Outdoor + Fashion—that’s the whole idea behind the Camel Outdoor Alps Series!
At 10:00 AM on January 29th, at the ISPO Expo in Beijing’s National Convention Center, come to the Camel Outdoor Alps Series Fashion Launch Event. Also waiting for you there will be Camel’s spokesperson: Han Han!
Alps, the “Han” wave is coming !