After Michael Kors’ punny run with its coffee shop and bakery and IKEA’s bun puns in Xi’an, American outdoor backpack manufacturer Osprey Packs joins the fray of international brands channelling the pun-filled internet culture for campaigns. This time, it also takes on the character “包”, which can mean bag or guarantee as they guarantee to cure all diseases with its 50th-anniversary event.
Echoing the ethos of bags being the panacea, the event itself was held at the restored historical Fang Hui Chun Tang (est. 1649) traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy in Hangzhou on 20 April. The brand converted the pharmacy into a six-stage immersive and interactive experience that included registration, consultation, pharmacy and rehabilitation with advice on mental and physical self-care. Osprey also invite a friend of the brand, Da Liu, one of the first commercial climbers of Mount Everest to the event, introducing the Talon bag he brought with him to the summit.
The event cleverly combined the pun on bags being the cure and an actual wellness-themed event. Interestingly, “bags cure all” is already an established hashtag on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform. With a whopping 960 million views, the topic is mostly used for handbag appreciation by luxury lovers and collectors.
Founded in 1974, Osprey celebrated its 50th anniversary with a commemorative anniversary edition of the Hikelite 26. As the outdoor trend continues in China it has also evolved into incorporating outdoor items into daily urban life. A recent trend sees urban commuters and office workers carrying mountaineering bags to work, for the ergonomic design and ability to carry everything they need while leaving room for after-work grocery shopping. As Osprey faces competition from brands such as Patagonia and Arc’teryx, combining elements of traditional Chinese culture and tapping into the guochao trend is a great way to differentiate.
