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With organic canvas uppers, recycled rubber outsoles and recycled linings, the new Earthkeepers™ boots from Timberland epitomize sustainable style. In line with this ethos, Timberland announced today that it will bring the collection to market through an environmentally-conscious advertising campaign, focused in Boston and Providence.

In an industry first, Timberland will offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the commercial airtime of the campaign — across television, radio and Internet — with wind power from the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort wind project in western Massachusetts. A portion of other emissions, related to production and distribution of the campaign, will be offset as well, through the purchase of additional carbon offsets from New York wind. The total wind power purchase will prevent the release of over 108,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — equivalent to not driving 109,000 miles or planting approximately 44 acres of trees.

In terms of outdoor materials, billboards from the campaign will be repurposed into reusable tote bags which will be sold at Timberland® retail stores. All other printed advertising materials will be recycled following the campaign.

Timberland will also continue its support of Mayor Menino’s “Grown Boston Greener” program, which aims to plant 100,000 trees in Boston neighborhoods by 2010, with a tree planting effort on Earth Day 2008. This builds upon the efforts of the Mayor’s office, Timberland employees and community partners who began this commitment by planting 100 trees on September 19th.

“As a company with a long outdoor heritage, Timberland is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint in everything from manufacturing to distribution to marketing,” said Carol Yang, vice president of Global Marketing at Timberland. “We are excited to put our values into action with the launch of the Earthkeepers™ collection and this new eco-conscious marketing campaign. And we will continue to seek strategic solutions, in our products and our business practices, to help make the outdoor environment better for all of us to enjoy, now and in the future.”

The Campaign

The eco-conscious media planning and buying for the campaign was handled by mediaHUB from Mullen, who set out to penetrate the Boston and Providence markets through TV, radio, online and out-of-home placements. The campaign will run from mid-October through mid-December. The TV spot, which breaks October 15, will air during popular network shows such as The Office, My Name is Earl and Heroes, as well as sports coverage including ESPN Sportscenter, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics games, and cable programming such as Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs and Man vs. Wild. Online advertising will run on boston.com and Yahoo!

Billboards will appear on major highways in the greater Boston area, including I-93, I-95, I-90 and Route 1. A South Station buy will hit during the month of December, with other outdoor elements rolling out in and around Boston from October through December.

Created by Arnold and shot by The Cronenweths of Untitled Productions Inc., the (:30) TV commercial portrays a driving wall of rain moving aggressively across a landscape. Opposite, a small figure walks toward the wall of rain at a similar pace and rhythm. As rain and man get closer, we see neither backing down. Instead of the rain overtaking the man, as one might expect, this massive curtain of rain stops at the man’s feet. For several seconds they observe each other. Once the connection is made, he walks confidently into the storm. The wall of rain begins to move again. This is not man versus nature, but man with nature. The voice-over closes: “Tread fearlessly. And lightly. The new Earthkeepers™ boots from Timberland, made with recycled materials.”

The campaign also includes a provocative outdoor campaign to communicate the recycled materials used in the new Earthkeepers™ boots. These include an update of the traditional “Mobius” recycled loop using the new boot and graphic representations of the boot shaped by recycled bottles and tires. The campaign will include a “station domination” in Boston’s South Station rotunda, billboards, trolley kings, bus shelters, mall banners and other public spaces.

Note: Methodology based on average households reached, number and duration of airings, average kwHs used by each medium, and average carbon dioxide emissions associated with each kwH. Environmental benefits based on EPA data.