Client: Carhartt
Services: Full-funnel media strategy, creative partnership management, integrated campaign planning and execution, influencer and entertainment alignment, measurement and analysis
Overview and Challenges:
Heading into its 135th year, Carhartt, a global premium workwear brand, set out to expand its reach and relevance among younger, high-potential audiences. The brand sought to reintroduce its core values of grit, resilience, and durability in a way that would resonate across modern entertainment and digital platforms.
To achieve this, Carhartt partnered with January Digital to lead a high-impact, cross-platform campaign anchored by actor and musician Luke Grimes and the final season of Yellowstone, which he starred in. The initiative required aligning media, talent partnerships, and content strategy to drive awareness, favorability, and eCommerce performance during the peak holiday period.
Execution involved navigating complex entertainment timelines, talent coordination, and multi-channel activation across streaming, social, music, and event-based platforms. The campaign needed to balance cultural relevance with brand authenticity while delivering measurable business impact across both brand and performance objectives.
Goals:
- Expand reach among high-potential, younger audiences through strategic talent and entertainment alignment
- Lift brand awareness, favorability, and purchase intent through emotionally resonant, full-funnel creative
- Drive eCommerce revenue and new customer acquisition during the critical holiday season
- Establish clear performance benchmarks across CTV, paid social, and emerging media channels
Our Work:
- Activated Strategic Partnerships During Yellowstone’s Final Season
Carhartt became the official apparel sponsor of Yellowstone’s final season, running across all six episodes, themed marathons, and a concentrated push around Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Luke Grimes wore Carhartt in key scenes, maximizing visibility during peak viewership. - Extended Reach Across the Taylor Sheridan Universe
Carhartt expanded its presence across Sheridan’s other properties, including 1923 and Landman, building brand equity across high-impact programming. - Connected with Luke Grimes’ Fanbase in Key Cultural Moments
Media placements included Grimes’ national press tour (e.g., The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon), with targeted buys across YouTube, Meta, and music media. Creative was customized to engage fans during real-time moments in both TV and music. - Integrated Grimes’ Music Launch
Activated full share-of-voice opportunities across Spotify, including homepage takeovers and playlist sponsorships, to intersect with rising consumer engagement around Grimes’ music debut and drive relevance through aligned storytelling. - Full-Funnel Paid + Organic Social and Event Tie-Ins
Campaign content extended across Meta and TikTok, targeting fans of country music and festivals like Stagecoach, where Grimes performed. January Digital also supported limited-edition Luke x Carhartt merchandise, branded content, and exclusive moments such as meet-and-greets at the Grand Ole Opry. - Reinforced Brand Values Through Cause-Driven Impact
The campaign supported conservation partners including Bitter Root Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy, reinforcing shared values of hard work, heritage, and stewardship of the land.
Results and Business Impact:
The campaign exceeded expectations across every KPI, delivering record-breaking results for Carhartt:
- Delivered record-breaking e-commerce performance, including Carhartt’s highest-ever Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and substantial new customer acquisition
- Exceeded planned reach by 6%, driven by Yellowstone’s record-breaking viewership and strategic media alignment
- Outperformed industry benchmarks across brand metrics, with notable lifts in brand awareness and favorability across CTV, Spotify, and Meta
