The unaptly named “Spring” semester has commenced at The University of Notre Dame, where I teach marketing. The standard issue apparel is, without a doubt, North Face. North Face puff jackets, shiny coats and fuzzy fleeces are everywhere. The logo is nearly as ubiquitous as ND’s own. (Yes, I am wearing North Face, as well. Why not? They are WARM and South Bend in January is NOT).
With this kind of popularity, one would think the North Face brand could relax a bit. But no, they are suing an enterprising Missouri teen for trademark infringement.
Jimmy Winkelman, 18, has been making and selling his “South Butt” logo-wear for two years. It was a side job. Winkelmann told ABC News he turned a profit of about $4,000 the first year, selling about 200 items in total. “I was like, ‘How did they even find me?'” Winkelmann said. “It was ridiculous.”
With the advent of the North Face suit, his ‘ridiculous’ company and parody products have garnered so much publicity, he now makes in a day what he made in years. In fact, he seems to have funded his entire college education.
As a marketer, I certainly can appreciate the damage done by knockoff and counterfeit brands. But this is clearly a parody, only made possible by the enormous popularity of North Face. (Apparently Patagonia suffered something similar with Ratagonia-labeled products in the past). It is more of a compliment than a threat. No one who sees this brand could possibly think it was related to North Face. And the idea that it is damaging the incredible equity of the North Face brand or diminishing its sales is simply ‘ridiculous’. Here is the ‘disclaimer’ on the South Butt site, in case there are any lingering doubts of its non-affliliation with North Face:
“We are not in any fashion related to nor do we want to be confused with The North Face Apparel Corp. or its products sold under “The North Face” brand. If you are unable to discern the difference between a face and a butt, we encourage you to buy North Face products.”
