Touching grass is good for you, and it\u2019s actually not that hard. At least, not according to Merrell.<\/p>\n
The 45-year-old hiking footwear brand, which is owned by Wolverine Worldwide, recently debuted a spot titled \u201cIt Starts Outside\u201d as part of a new brand platform encouraging exploration of the world outside. The 30-second spot is primarily running on digital platforms, and stars athletes like Olympian Alexi Pappas and marathon runner Lisa Thompson alongside regular outside enjoyers, all stepping through a door to enjoy various outdoor activities like running, camping, or simply sitting. It\u2019ll continue through the rest of the year with seasonal updates, including an expanded initiative later this month, Global CMO Richard McLeod told us; at the end of 2026, his team will revisit the \u201cNorth Star\u201d idea to evaluate where to go next.<\/p>\n
Framing the campaign around \u201coutside\u201d rather than something like \u201cthe great outdoors\u201d is key to Merrell\u2019s approachable messaging, McLeod said. Outside is everywhere and available, while the outdoors might seem more grandiose\u2014and potentially not be everyone\u2019s cup of tea.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some people, the outdoors just conjures up granola, mud,\u201d McLeod said. \u201cSome people don\u2019t love that. But a lot of people like to go to the park. They like to go in their backyard. They like to go to summer festivals. They like to meet up in communities. And I think that broadens the aperture of what \u2018the outside\u2019 can mean to different sets of consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Open the door<\/h2>\n
\u201cIt Starts Outside\u201d is Merrell\u2019s first-ever global brand platform, and it serves to reintroduce the brand to existing customers while hopefully introducing it to new customers, McLeod said. That new set includes younger consumers and women specifically, who are \u201cdriving decision-making, which is driving purchases,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This campaign] will set the foundation and our belief system for future,\u201d McLeod said. \u201cIf you think about successful brands in our industry or outside of it, building that strong base foundation is critical for brand growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of 2025, Wolverine Worldwide reported that Merrell brought in $173 million in revenue in the fourth quarter, which was up nearly 6% for the brand YoY. Overall revenue was up 36.6% YoY in Q4 at $517.5 million, and Wolverine, which also owns Saucony, projected 2026 Q1 revenue to be between $445 million and $450 million, which would be a reported growth of approximately 8.5% at the midpoint compared to the prior year, per Women\u2019s Wear Daily.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, not many are in [this position],\u201d McLeod said. \u201cWe have to make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
To do so, the Merrell team launched a campaign that was built on consumer research that pointed to an insight that Mcleod said could be scaled globally.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe traditional tropes and the imagery around the outdoors has really been about extreme environments, elite performance,\u201d he said. \u201cOur insight that we came to was simple: The most important moment isn\u2019t necessarily about reaching the summit. It\u2019s more about that decision to step outside in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n