For more than 160 years, Mammut has been building a legacy rooted in the precision and ruggedness of the Swiss Alps. Known for crafting high-performance gear that empowers climbers and adventurers, Mammut prides itself on authenticity and a deep connection to the mountains.

But today’s outdoor retailer landscape is shifting. Brands traditionally known for outdoor gear and apparel are increasingly co-opting streetwear trends, focusing more on athleisure and fashion than athletic performance and function.

For Mammut, this has not and will never be the case. Still, it faced a challenge: how to maintain its identity and remind people of its mountaineering roots amidst an avalanche of commercialisation? From this challenge, the Not a Streetwear Brand campaign was born. 

The Not a Streetwear Brand campaign seeks to confront the blurring lines between outdoor authenticity and urban fashion while sparking a reappraisal of the brand. The goal? Make some noise in the outdoor market, inspire city dwellers to rediscover the allure of nature, and position Mammut as one of the last real mountaineering brands.

To bring the campaign’s guiding statement to life, DEPT® and Mammut sought to create a disruptive activation in the heart of London. The strategy hinged on juxtaposing Mammut’s mountain heritage against the city landscape, resulting in an attention-grabbing backdrop for the bold statement that the brand is not—and will never be—a streetwear brand.

The campaign was rolled out in three phases, each designed to build intrigue, capture attention, and keep the conversation going.

The campaign kicked off with subtle hints about the upcoming event, both online and offline. Outdoor athletes, including climbers Adam Ondra and Katherine Choong, shared cryptic and enticing messages across social media, urging their followers to “look up” and be on the lookout for something big coming to the city.

In key areas around the activation site, we placed tactical media like fly posters and floor vinyl to further pique the curiosity of passersby, creating a buzz building up to the main event.

The live activation took place at Granary Square, a location known for its blend of urban culture and streetwear presence—making it the perfect backdrop for Mammut’s message. As evening fell, a highly visible and lifelike 3D projection lit up the building, transforming the face of the city into a towering mountain landscape. 

A (digital) Mammut-clad climber, seemingly scaling the urban skyline, symbolised the brand’s message that “the mountains are where we belong”—not the harsh, man-made edges of the city.

As a tranquil soundtrack began taking over the frantic noises of the city, passersby felt the tension between the quiet isolation of the mountains and the busy streets. At the peak of the activation, people could relax into the calming white noise, clang of carabiners, and the heartbeat of the climber.

At the heart of the activation was a basecamp experience designed to mimic the rugged minimalism of an authentic mountain basecamp. The setup was made to stand out, complete with Mammut’s signature red tents, outdoor gear displays, and legitimate mountain experts from Mammut Mountain School on-site to engage viewers. 

Visitors had the chance to interact with the brand, its ambassadors, and mountain athletes; learn more about hiking and climbing destinations near London; and take home exclusive “Not a Streetwear Brand”-branded merchandise. 

The activation turned a busy London thoroughfare into an immersive mountain experience, driving home Mammut’s message in a way that was both unexpected and memorable.

After the activation day, we kept the campaign going online, leveraging influencer content and user-generated posts to extend the message’s reach. Social media lit up with photos and videos from the event, tagged with #NotAStreetwearBrand. Mammut’s athletes and influencers kept the energy and conversation alive by sharing behind-the-scenes content and their own experiences at the activation. 

We chose to collaborate with a diverse group of creators, including James Warnock, Luke Tarrant, Amina Hassan, and Marta Misztal throughout the campaign. We wanted to ensure the creators we worked with had unique stories, engaged audiences, and would capture the attention of city dwellers and rural residents alike. 

The organic and branded digital content amplified the story, ensuring those who missed the event could still feel a part of the movement and engage with Mammut’s mission. During the reveal and sustain phases of the campaign, Tarrant’s posts garnered more than 420k views across TikTok and Instagram, while Warnock’s TikTok post drove a strong 5% engagement rate.  

The activation’s combination of bold messaging, interactive elements, and influencer partnerships ensured that the campaign resonated both in person and online. Influencer amplification drove more than 420K views across Instagram and TikTok.

But the campaign’s impact extended beyond social media, securing 1.4M reach through organic PR and being showcased as a standout example in the media.

Further solidifying its success, Google Trends data revealed a sustained uplift in search interest for “Mammut” in the UK, demonstrating how the campaign sparked lasting conversation and tangible curiosity in the weeks after the visuals faded.

Through the Not A Streetwear Brand campaign, Mammut and DEPT® reasserted what the brand stands for: authenticity; resilience; and a commitment to the outdoors. 

The campaign didn’t just take over city streets—it disrupted the narrative around outdoor brands and reminded people of the power of sticking to your roots.

With this bold activation, Mammut didn’t just “rise with the mountain.” It built one right in the heart of London.