As the only non-profit devoted exclusively to the Appalachian Trail and its landscape, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is committed to keeping the Trail’s vast natural beauty healthy, resilient, and connected, so that everyone can experience its transformative power for generations to come. To celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary, the ATC embarked on a fundraising campaign to address the challenges facing the A.T. and ensure the Trail endures forever. Utilizing only a limited media budget, the ATC needed an idea that would raise awareness and break through an already cluttered space.

We set out to change what it means to “take a hike” — literally. The phrase is commonly used as a rude dismissal, the opposite of what time in nature actually offers. The idea was to reclaim the phrase by treating it as a positive, restorative invitation, and to do so publicly by challenging the Dictionary to update its definition. We partnered with Saturday Night Live alum Kevin Nealon — not as a traditional spokesperson, but as a sincere activist demanding a new, health-focused definition. The campaign played out across film, social, PR, print, OOH, and on-trail activations, growing into a national conversation and even earning a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live!