Jöttnar
Conquer Giants
Introduction
Founded by two former Royal Marines, Jöttnar make serious technical clothing for mountaineering, winter climbing and all-mountain skiing. They tasked us with creating a brand with a compelling narrative.
They sought to create a serious kit, constructed to shield against the most brutal, extreme environments. Each piece designed to capture the purity and elegance of the Scandinavian landscape where they had spent so much service time. Ultimately, the goal was to create a more considered product that out-performs any other mountaineering clothing product.
Client
Jöttnar
Industry
Retail, sport, outdoor
Services
Brand strategy, identity, ecommerce
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Total mountain focus
With many of their competitors, the lines between serious gear and lifestyle brand were blurred, which according to research, irks much of the hardcore mountain community. Jöttnar dub their vision as ‘total mountain focus’, a purist position that gives the casual leisure market a strategically wide berth. It’s serious technical mountain clothing with a compelling brand narrative.
Thor’s hammer, genesis for the icon
Clear lines
The brief was clear; design, develop and implement a challenger brand with a compelling narrative that brought to market a supremely designed and engineered range of premium mountain wear. A brand which is capable of competing in a niche and crowded marketplace.
The name – Jöttnar – derives from old Norse folklore. The myth recalls fearsome, savage man-eating Frost Giants, jötunn. Man’s protection from these brutally fearsome creatures was the immortal ‘giant slayer’, Thor. His hammer, the Mjölnir (meaning crusher), was said to be so powerful it was capable of levelling mountains.
(Long before Marvel got their hands on it), the Jöttnar brand story is a modern retelling of this legend; the Frost Giants now cast as the imposing mountain; the products, in turn, the battle-hardy armoury.
The identity depicts the Mjölnir – a symbol of power and protection. The strapline – Conquer Giants – a drum-bashing call to arms inviting the bearer to carve their own legend and to ‘be the myth’. In time, the Jöttnar Mjölnir will become recognised as an enduring emblem of protection and the highest quality amongst the mountain fraternity.
A symbol of strength
The outdoor clothing market is a congested space, so it was essential to build a distinctive voice and visual identity. The product naming convention extends the retelling of the legend; Fjorm, Vanir, Alfar and Bergelmir are derived from mythical tales in the chronicles.
Fierce reputation
Since launching in 2012, Jöttnar has shown aggressive growth year-on-year as its reputation grows. With each new year, consistent editor’s picks and five-star reviews lead to product lines selling out and shipping to customers worldwide.
They have won numerous high-profile accolades for their products and have set up exclusive retail partnerships with a growing number of UK, European and North American specialist outlets. They’ve equipped mountain rescue teams and the military. They have even been chosen as the clothing provider for an attempt on Shackleton’s 1914 uncompleted Antarctic crossing. Their reputation is going from strength to strength at a vigorous pace, now recognised as one of the leaders in the space.
The tagline that Jöttnar use is ‘conquer giants’. The branding is great, tying in Norse mythology with the urge we have to climb large frozen lumps of rock. Thor’s hammer Mjolnir is the symbol on the zip pull. If you do travel to the realm of the frost giants in the Alfar, you’ll be well protected. Jöttnar may also be sending a message to the larger manufacturers of technical outdoor kit, there are some giants there that could see their market share shift over to these guys if Jöttnar continue to produce kit of this standard.
Founders’ story
Tommy Kelly and Steve Howarth were in the Norwegian mountains during a fierce Arctic winter when inspiration took hold: the development of premium technical outdoor clothing that would protect against the raging brutality around them, but also capture the purity and elegance of the Scandinavian landscape. As mountaineers throughout their adult lives, as well as their experience as Royal Marines, they knew the importance of creating products able to withstand the most savage, ferocious, and formidable conditions imaginable.
Clean lines, disciplined designs, the highest quality materials, expert craftsmanship, fit and attention to detail are Jöttnar’s product hallmarks. Rigorously tested at each stage of development; it’s clothing of unimpeachable integrity.
We’ve been delighted by the can-do approach of the whole team who have always delivered, under pressure. The design and creative work hasn’t failed to exceed expectations. The relationship that we’ve built with LGT is of immense value, and has been a key enabler in helping distinguish us from our competition. They’re great people – bright, funny, very talented, and always a pleasure to work with.