Coleman Introduces comprehensive "Let's Go Outside" campaign

The Coleman Company, Inc., long an advocate of outdoor recreation and a manufacturer of scores of outdoor products, introduced at its Global Outdoor Summit an ambitious campaign to encourage all people to get outdoors more and enjoy what nature has to offer. The Summit audience included more than 125 retailers from all channels of distribution, who were invited to join the campaign. The campaign’s message, spending more time outside, may well be an answer to many of the ills that plague modern society.

Coleman’s president and CEO, Gary A. Kiedaisch, an avid outdoorsman, declared the Summit a success. “Our two-fold purpose in bringing such a diverse group of retailers together was first, to enlist them in the campaign to get people outdoors, and second, to show them Coleman’s new products and programs that would support it next year,” he said. “We believe it is our social responsibility to get people outside, away from their day-to-day routine, to an active outdoor lifestyle that promotes health and happiness.”

Coleman’s intent is to spread this vital message to an ever more sedentary public using new advertising and merchandising, as well as working with its retail partners and outdoor ambassadors. Coleman plans to inspire people by demonstrating the appeal of the outdoors and by continuing to create products that make getting there easy and fun.

According to Kiedaisch, the company will become a more vocal advocate for the outdoors. “It’s up to us to market the outdoor lifestyle as successfully as the indoor lifestyle is being marketed,” Kiedaisch said.

“Our campaign is designed to reach existing outdoor participants, but also the uninitiated and the young. It’s especially important to get young people outdoors – to learn those lifetime skills early, benefit from those experiences and create memories that last forever.”

To that end, the Coleman® Kids line has been refreshed and expanded for 2007 and built with the credo: ‘Real Gear for Real Kids’ Adventures.’ Says Kiedaisch, “We’d like kids to get outdoor gear as gifts for Christmas, birthdays and other holidays, not just video games and techno gadgets. We should be raising our children to be healthy outdoor enthusiasts, not couch potatoes.”

Coleman’s outdoor advocacy campaign includes a number of important initiatives. First, the company is becoming more involved with issues that impact the outdoors. Though Coleman has traditionally had close relationships with organizations that advocate for the outdoors and for outdoor recreation, it will strengthen its ties to several organizations. At the Summit, the company announced the creation of two new youth-oriented outdoor programs it is sponsoring with Leave No Trace and Appalachian Mountain Club.

The company also unveiled an ambassador program at the Summit. The program includes high profile outdoor specialists who will help deliver the outdoor message to the public and work with Coleman product designers on future products in their respective areas of expertise. Professional mountaineer Mike Haugen, who plans to use Coleman® Exponent® products on his Mt. Everest expedition in 2007, will serve as the Exponent ambassador. Danni Boatwright, winner of CBS’s “Survivor Guatemala” and Coleman’s camping spokeswoman, will make appearances to deliver the outdoor message to a variety of audiences. In addition, professional anglers Tommy Skarlis and Wally Marshall will continue to speak to the fishing community about the importance of logging more time in the outdoors.

One of the key messages at the Summit was that the campaign to get the public outdoors requires an industry-wide commitment. Coleman unveiled its new advertising and promotional campaigns to show how it means to call attention to the excitement and benefits of outdoor recreation, then appealed to the attending retailers to join in its effort to deliver the outdoor message to the public.

To underscore its commitment to the outdoor category and to make life easier for the retailers, Coleman simplified its vast offering by presenting products according to end use: Camping, Kids, Marine, RoadTrip®, Backyard, Pets, Home and Exponent® categories. Within the categories, the company is designing innovative new products to attract and fulfill the aspirations of three levels of consumers: the weekender, the enthusiast and the expert. To do this, Coleman has nearly doubled its investment in global new product development and has added 40 new people to work in this area.

Among the many new products Coleman launched at its Summit were a Pro Series expedition tent and sleeping bag, family camping tents with integral lighting system and first-to-market hinged door, cooler with built-in radio and MP3 port, PFDs with two-way radios, state-of-the-art marine coolers with technologically advanced insulation systems, rechargeable blender, innovative backyard grill with customizable side appliances, and airbeds with added features like built-in alarm clock, radio, MP3 and battery-powered internal pump.

“Coleman’s advertising messages in the coming year will translate to a consumer call to action. Coleman’s ‘Let’s Go Outside’ message is designed to drive consumers of all ages and demographic profiles off the couch and into the great outdoors,” Kiedaisch says. “We’ll have merchandising programs that help deliver that message on retailers’ shelves. Our Web site, which already attracts a high volume of traffic, will grow even more focused on this message and provide a forum to encourage kids, parents and people of all ages and experience levels to go outside and enjoy what nature has to offer.

“We must be true to our mission as the outdoor company. Almost since its founding in 1900, Coleman has been in the business of making the outdoors more accessible to people. Today we believe this mission is more important than ever before,” Kiedaisch says. “The Coleman brand stands for quality, innovation and durability. To that we’re adding our corporate commitment to making the outdoor experience an integral part of modern life, by providing information and products to make the experience meaningful, affordable and fun. That’s what being the outdoor company is all about.”

The Coleman Company, Inc. is an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, including its legendary lanterns, as well as stoves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, coolers, furniture and grills. Its products are sold and used all over the world. Coleman embraces its leadership role as an advocate for the outdoors, contributing to outdoor causes and inspiring people to get outside. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, and can be found online at www.coleman.com. Consumers can contact Coleman by phone at 800-835-3278 or by e-mail at consumerservice@coleman.com.

Note to media: News releases and images are available upon request or can be downloaded at www.coleman.com/newsroom.

Coleman® is a registered trademark of The Coleman Company, Inc.

Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including; Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bicycle®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Forster®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke® and Loew-Cornell®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, First Alert®, FoodSaver®, Harmony®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain™; and Outdoor Solutions: Campingaz® and Coleman®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has more than 16,000 employees worldwide and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: JAH).