The technical apparel heavyweight replaced the original images of sites including Guarita State Park, Península do Cabo, Cuillin Hills, and Serra Fina, which are heavily popular destinations, with images containing North Face products.
The "Top of Images" project generated its fair share of criticism across the internet and from Wikipedia itself.
The "Top of Images" project generated its fair share of criticism across the internet and from Wikipedia itself.
The Wikimedia Foundation released a statement asserting that North Face and the ad agency behind the campaign, Leo Burnett Tailor Made, had "unethically manipulated Wikipedia" and "risked your trust in our mission for a short-lived marketing stunt." "Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation did not collaborate on this stunt, as The North Face falsely claims," the statement read. "When The North Face exploits the trust you have in Wikipedia to sell you more clothes, you should be angry."
The North Face has since apologized for the stunt stating, "We believe deeply in Wikipedia's mission and apologize for engaging in activity inconsistent with those principles. Effective immediately, we have ended the campaign and moving forward, we'll commit to ensuring that our teams and vendors are better trained on the site policies."
Vandals, or marketing pioneers? History will be the judge.
Vandals, or marketing pioneers? History will be the judge.
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