Brands That Matter

Our annual look at standout brands encompasses 130 honorees in nine categories, including the inaugural CMOs of the Year. Here's how 12 of those brands and three top CMOs stake out the intersection of business and culture.

- David Salazar

Arc'teryx The outdoor apparel brand gets creative to promote circular materials.

THE SHORT DOCUMENTARY CONTINUUM CHRONICLES the backcountry mountain adventures of six pro skiers and snowboarders. Over its 22-minute run time, the film follows the powder-drenched exploits of Michelle Parker, Elena Hight, Spencer O'Brien, Lucy Sackbauer, Robin Van Gyn, and Tatum Monod. But though the pro athletes are the focus of the film, it does more than showcase alpine athleticism.

It's also about a tent. Made from 137 unrepairable jackets, it becomes their refuge as they ski and snowboard down snowcapped peaks, glide through backcountry forests, and even get dropped by helicopter onto glacier mountaintops.

Part of a film series Arc'teryx launched this year called "No Wasted Days," Continuum uses on-screen action to demonstrate how the company's ReGear program keeps materials in circulation and how the brand turns rubbish into a resource. It also shows off the brand's increasing adoption among top outdoor athletes, says Karl Aaker, Arc'teryx's senior vice president of brand marketing, while furthering its broader mission: to "get people outside," he says.

"The right gear, some inspiration, human connection, and knowledge all help with that." The "No Wasted Days" campaign, which included a film tour, resulted in a dozen videos released throughout the year. The campaign has helped the ReGear program register a 127% year-over-year increase in product trade-ins. Meanwhile, the brand's parent company, Amer Sports, saw revenue hit $918 million in the first six months of 2024-a 39% year-over-year increase-led by Arc'teryx.

The campaign wasn't just a boon for sales; it has also helped drive an 80% increase in attendance of the Arc'teryx Academy, Aaker says. The event series, which has been running since 2011, trains attendees in alpinism, backcountry skiing, running, and climbing, along with circular product design.