Aspen Made Me Do It. I’m fascinated by branding. Our recent Labor Day campaign (seen above) was inspired by a 2014 Equinox campaign. Their idea was to inspire high-performance living, empowering people to be bold, be risk-takers, and push the limits. It was a genius display of advertising that I can still see posted all over NYC and perfect for NYC.
My idea behind Aspen Made Me Do It was influenced by this (don’t tell Related) but with a spin. I wanted to encompass a town that physically charges harder than anywhere in the world but embodies a lifestyle filled with music, community, ideas, purpose, and honors our history. People come to Aspen, buy homes in Aspen, and vacation in Aspen because they want to be identified with it. They want to be in on the secret and why wouldn’t you want to be?
Now the piece that becomes tricky is the fine line that we all walk. Our town has gained a reputation nationally and even globally for the rich and famous. Just walk down Galena and look to your left and your right at the luxury brands and even the likes of Kemo, emulate a certain lifestyle, a checkmark so to speak. And while this has compounded dramatically over the years, the rich and famous have always come to Aspen. Not because of the brand name, but because of the people and the town, and the spirit of this place.
If you walk down that same street though and instead focus on the people, this town is richer than ever. It is easy to get caught up in the inevitable change of our facade. Behind that though, is a dynamic, remarkable, powerful, and spiritual place. Our brand is our people and that includes the locals, the tourists, our business owners, and of course the mountains. As we head into the offseason, let's not forget that.
