The Situation
Thule had earned a loyal following in the US as the brand that gets your gear where it needs to go — roof racks, bike carriers, ski mounts. If you had a passion and needed to transport it, Thule had you covered. But when Thule acquired Case Logic, something bigger became possible. For the first time, the company could design and develop soft-sided products — which meant an entirely new way for them to meet the needs of their active audience. New gear, new categories. Thule had a vision for what the brand could become: not just a brand that moves gear from point A to point B, but one that helps adventure-driven people bring their passion into every corner of their lives. The question was how to take that first step in a way that felt like a natural evolution — not a departure.
What They Hired Darwin to Do
Thule hired Darwin to help launch Crossover, its first line of soft-sided travel bags — suitcases, backpacks, and duffles built for people who don’t leave their adventurous spirit behind. Darwin developed the product line positioning and messaging strategy, then created the advertising campaign to bring it to life in the US market.
How We Helped
Our work began with making Crossover feel like an inevitable next chapter for Thule — not a new direction, but a logical extension of everything the brand already stood for. We developed positioning and messaging that connected the new line to Thule’s existing equity while opening the door to a broader vision of what the brand could mean to its audience. The advertising campaign reached passionate adventure travelers through print and digital ads in national publications, speaking directly to people who live for the next trip and need gear that can keep up.
The Crossover launch marked the beginning of Thule stepping into the brand it had always had the potential to become — one built not just for the journey to adventure, but for every part of the life that surrounds it.
