Google has mapped 98% of the world, 100 countries and 10M miles of concrete roads. But naturally, wilderness enthusiasts prefer the paths less paved. For YETI, this posed an opportunity to take the Hopper M20 (our most versatile cooler yet), map hidden trails across the globe and make the outdoors more accessible to everyone.
Introducing Map The Gaps - A YETI campaign designed to take the “street” out of Google Street View by locating and integrating some of the world’s last uncharted trails.
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++300%Increase in Hopper Sales
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1BMonthly Users Accessed Through Google API
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78MImpressions From Press Across Forbes, Ad Age, The Drum, Gear Junkie, and more
Key Takeaways
Hacked Google’s API to provide value and reach more customers
Made 75+ uncharted miles of trails more accessible to people everywhere
Created an integrated campaign anchored by a first-of-its kind digital experience
Transformed Google Street View into free ad space
3x Gold Winner in The Drum Awards for Marketing, Webby Award Winner for Best Use of Online Media, Merit Winner in The One Show and ADC
Where the street ends, the journey begins.
We started by tracking down 15 pure wilderness trails Google couldn’t get to. Having our missions mapped, we then equipped 13 of our global ambassadors with GPS-enabled 360º cameras and the YETI Hopper® backpack cooler before sending them to hike the undocumented trails.
As a result, Map The Gaps made these previously hidden gems discoverable by allowing users to preview and explore unmapped landscapes through video walkthroughs and immersive 360-degree views.
Hacking Google Street View.
Once our ambassadors had trekked through the rainforests of British Columbia, hiked up the hillsides of Victoria, Australia and crossed the deserts of Santa Fe, we uploaded their personal footage through Google’s open platform. Their adventures are now permanently planted on Google Street View with our YETI Hopper front and center.
Essentially, Map The Gaps hijacked a platform with over a billion active monthly users and transformed it into an interactive advertisement and demo for our most versatile cooler yet.
Off the grid. On the feed.
We capitalized on attention by doubling down with strategically placed in-store ads, social videos and digital — all to reach and resonate with our YETI loyalists and newcomers alike, turning every ad into a portal to the wild.
An experience built from the ground up.
We used hours of raw GoPro footage to create an immersive 360° experience. This allowed visitors to watch, pan, navigate to key moments and plan a full adventure, all from their device. We then extended the build out to numerous video players and streaming solutions, ensuring seamless responsiveness across platforms.
“The outdoors are for everyone to share. Go try a trail you haven't tried, then wonder where else you could go. Search and find.”
Making the outdoors more accessible to everyone.
Map The Gaps is meant to spark thrilling new adventures for nature enthusiasts everywhere. So we designed a digital experience for a world as diverse as the terrains we explore.
We followed AA guidelines closely, ensuring clear labels, landmarks and a structured layout for easy voiceover and keyboard use. We also added a mode to reduce motion for users with ADHD or motion sickness, keeping our promise of truly making the wild more accessible in every sense of the word.
Immortalizing with impact.
For an audience obsessed with exploring the world, we gave them more of the world to explore. And in a way no brand has ever, we ensured the YETI Hopper was officially, and firmly, placed on The Map … forever.
How we did it
Idea Development
- Brand strategy
- Concept development
- User journey mapping
- Idea creation
Technology and Integrations
- React
- Cloudflare
- Google Cloud
- Firebase
Product Strategy
- Content strategy
- User research & testing
- Roadmapping
- A/B testing and optimization
Design
- User experience design
- User interface design
- Interaction design
- Prototyping
- Animation