Millions of Americans love the Appalachian Trail, but few know the only nonprofit organization responsible for protecting and maintaining the entirety of it. With a small donor base and limited marketing dollars, ATC needed to drive awareness among new audiences and grow support in a crowded nonprofit landscape.

ATC couldn’t outspend bigger organizations, so it needed an idea with built-in cultural traction. We partnered with Kevin Nealon, a lifelong hiker with the credibility, humor, and reach to help the message travel farther, then flipped the phrase take a hike from an insult into an invitation. By challenging the dictionary definition (and collecting signatures under a petition), the campaign sparked a broader conversation around mental health, the restorative power of the trail, and ATC’s role in protecting it.

The campaign gathered steam across podcasts and celebrity circles, with support from Ted Danson, Kevin Bacon, Wyatt Russell, and SNL alumni Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett, before peaking on Giving Tuesday when ATC beat out every other charitable organization in the country for a full segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The result was a breakout moment that turned attention into serious growth:

• $81 million in donated and earned media
• 85x more reach > paid advertising alone
• 20% growth in email list in just 3 months
• 25% YOY increase in funding
• 86% of new donors and members were new to the ATC community
• Nearly 1 Billion impressions (with 970 million in small type below)

Creative · Brand Activation · Content Lab (In-House Production) · Earned Media · Media Strategy