#HTE

Columbia Sportswear’s “Survival Labels” Turn Clothing Hang Tags Into Functional Multitools

Ninety-two-year-old Gert Boyle is the Chairman of outdoor gear manufacturer Columbia Sportswear. Actually, she’s the Chairwoman; “Gert” is short for Gertrude. Those of you raised in the ‘80s may remember that she starred in the company’s tongue-in-cheek commercials of the time (like this one) where she subjected her son to all manner of hardships in order to demonstrate the durability of the company’s goods.

In any case, the notoriously tough Boyle is reportedly known for saying “It’s perfect, now make it better.” With that phrase in mind, ad firm Ogilvy & Mather’s Istanbul outpost took something that was perfectly adequate, the laundry care hangtags attached to every new piece of clothing, and added some rather extreme functionality to them:

We figured this was just an advertising gimmick, but the GPS coordinates in the video correspond with the location of Columbia’s flagship store in Istanbul, where the tags are apparently available. There’s no word on whether they’re actually being included with purchased clothing as hangtags—that can’t make economic sense—or just a one-time promotional item.

http://www.core77.com/posts/54228/Columbia-Sportswears-Survival-Labels-Turn-Clothing-Hang-Tags-Into-Functional-Multitools