Duofold turns to a Cave Dog to raise brand awareness

Cave Dog’s attempt to become the first person to complete a 50-kilometer hike in each of the 50 states in less than 100 days is an attempt by sponsor Duofold to raise brand awareness, as well as to encourage consumers not only to go to Duofold retailers but also to participate in some part of the hike with him.  

“Duofold has a longstanding history of supporting personal achievement. We are all about supporting people pursuing their passion, and making sure they are outfitted properly,” said Jeanne Wilkinson, director of marketing at Duofold. “Sponsoring and partnering Cave Dog is a way for us to continue the legacy that we started years ago.”

In addition, she said, the nearly three-month challenge will be one way for the company to get Duofold retailers and consumers excited about the brand and the new products and looks it’s been releasing in the last year or so. Plus, those who join Cave Dog (a.k.a. Ted Keiser) on his hike will also get Duofold apparel to try.

The “Hike 50 Challenge” began on Sept. 15 in Portland, Ore., and ends with a 14-peak hike of the Adirondacks in New York on Nov. 28.

How did Duofold get hooked up with Keiser and brainstorm such whackiness as hiking 50 kilometers (31 miles) in each of 50 states? Company execs happened upon him in a running magazine story where he was pictured, by chance, wearing a Duofold shirt. When they came up with this promotional idea, they figured he was the perfect choice since he’d already broken a number of records for outdoor activities, including summiting all of Colorado’s 55 14ers in 10 days, 20 hours, 26 minutes.

As Keiser travels across the states, he will be give talks and do media appearances. And Duofold is encouraging its retailers and the public to accompany him on his hike in the respective states. The schedule is online both on Keiser’s website (www.thedogteam.com) and Duofold’s, www.duofold.com. But the journey isn’t just about rugged trails; it also mixes urban hike with well-known trails. For example, the route includes traverses of the streets of San Francisco, a portion of the Lewis and Clark trail in Idaho, the Cirque of the Towers in Wyoming, the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, and the Continental Divide trail in New Mexico.

Keiser said that he wanted to choose the most diverse collection of hikes he could. He says he will hike glaciers in Alaska, swamps in Florida, a river in Zion National Park in Utah. In New Mexico, he said he’ll hike in black lava.  

“Every one is going to be different,” he said. “We will be going at approximately a 3-mph pace. Most walkers and hikers can do it.

“It’s going to be really fantastic,” he added, just a couple of days before his odyssey was to begin.

OLN will document his attempt with in a televised feature called, “Live Your Passion,” scheduled to air upon his completion of the event. The Duofold team, an OLN cameraperson and Keiser will travel between trails in an RV (where Keiser can sleep between walks), which will be vividly branded with the event, company name and images — so you can’t miss it.