JanSport Goes to Unexpected Places with “Driven to Go” Campaign

For more than 50 years, JanSport has remained a best-selling backpack brand and a dependable partner for adventure and self-expression.

Starting today, the world’s best-known backpack maker is launching a new creative campaign aimed at independent young adults. Called “Driven to Go,” the campaign highlights the massively popular SuperBreak and versatile Hatchet backpacks to an adventurous audience.

A true cultural icon, the SuperBreak’s streamlined design has earned worldwide acclaim and success among consumers, allowing for a seamless progression to the added functionality of the Hatchet backpack.

"We are excited to launch these two new and energetic campaigns that bring both the iconic SuperBreak pack, that JanSport is known for, and the innovative Hatchet backpack front and centre for consumers to see in a new light,” says JanSport Director of Brand, Anne Soderstrom.

JanSport tapped their longtime AOR, San Francisco-based Teak, to cast both the SuperBreak and the Hatchet as a companion for self-expression and discovery.

The result is a creative execution that builds on the brand’s outdoor heritage and brings its bold message to a diverse young audience.

For SuperBreak, the campaign takes a journey down the path of youthful self-discovery featuring late nights in the city, special friendships, and limitless possibilities. Hatchet finds its protagonists dominating the city landscapes, exercising their freedom to go anywhere and do anything.

Teak Creative Director Greg Rowan found inspiration from the idea of urban exploration. “Cities are a magnet for people who are just starting out—instinctively following an innate sense of discovery. Urban explorers are pioneers, specifically targeting places that are off-limits or seldom seen, using photography to capture their own personal experience.”

To keep the campaign fun, but grounded in authenticity, Teak took a non-traditional path to finding talent, choosing to feature real young people, not actors. At times, this involved casting talent from social media channels and even seeking out skateboarders off the street in San Francisco, starting a dialog with its customers that helped grow and shape JanSport’s brand story.

This approach extended to the video soundtrack, where Teak used up and coming musicians to drive the narrative. “JanSport has a long history of putting rising artists front and center,” Rowan adds. “The brand has been inspired by music since its founding in 1967." Veteran music supervisor Todd Porter curated tracks across a range of music genres, including Tony Blayzem, Naked Giants, Chuuwee, Equal and many others.

Showcasing the scope of the JanSport product line, “Driven to Go” will run throughout the year, and will include streaming TV, digital videos, social, and OOH.