Columbia Sportswear Company: Mother Boyle campaign

Kathy Peacock

By 2005 the Portland, Oregon—based Columbia Sportswear Company was the largest seller of skiwear in the United States and an industry leader worldwide.

Columbia Sportswear Company: Mother Boyle campaign

Kathy Peacock

OVERVIEW

By 2005 the Portland, Oregon—based Columbia Sportswear Company was the largest seller of skiwear in the United States and an industry leader worldwide. Founded in 1938 by German immigrants Paul and Marie Lamfrom and their daughter Gert, the company grew into a billion-dollar-a-year enterprise by 2003. Much of Columbia's growth was attributed to the 1984 launch of its signature "Mother Boyle" advertising campaign, which placed Gert Boyle, who became the company's CEO in 1970, front and center as the company's spokesperson. The grandmother with the fake "Born to Nag" tattoo proved...

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