THE PORTLAND MADE STORY
After the success of the Toronto City Series and pop-up shop, we set our sights on a fresh new destination. We decided to dive into one of the coolest cities in America - Portland, Oregon.
PROJECT:
Building on the success of the Vancouver and Toronto City Series, we launched the third installment with a fresh, impactful approach. By blending larger-scale influencer activations, strategic brand partnerships, and a give-back element, we introduced ‘Portland Made’—a campaign focused on the unique culture and style of Portland, Oregon.
GOAL:
Drive brand awareness in Portland while creating compelling content for a shoppable Portland Made collection on Shoes.com.
OUTCOME:
65% Increase in Brand Exposure: Achieved 3 million media reach and 1.7 million social reach.
Fully Integrated Campaign: The Portland Made collection was prominently featured on the homepage, supported by a dedicated content series on the blog, email marketing, online ads, and social media.
Strategic Insights & Execution:
Identifying Key Influencers: Unlike Toronto, where we had a well-connected local figure, I relied on extensive research, direct outreach via emails, Instagram DMs, and phone calls to curate a list of authentic Portland influencers. This hands-on approach allowed us to tap into the city’s unique, community-driven culture.
Going Beyond Photography: This time, we needed more than just beautiful imagery. We interviewed Portland locals to capture their stories, blending their narratives with our product to create an emotional connection.
Shoppable Experience: We introduced a newly designed, interactive shoppable feature page that seamlessly integrated content as users scrolled, offering an immersive experience of both product and personality.
TEAM
Producer: Cristina Pagnucco
Photos: Jeremy Jude Lee
Video: Rosanna Peng
Design: Kirsty Tsang
The Influencers
GREGORY GOURDET
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT DEPARTURE PDX & TOP CHEF CONTESTANT
Gregory Gourdet is known as a Top Chef contestant in season 12; and the Executive Chef at Departure PDX with a love of Asian cuisine and a healthy mindset when it comes to food. Gregory has gone on to make a name for himself in the Portland community well beyond his culinary skills. When he’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen he can be found in the great Portland outdoors getting in touch with nature.
“We have a wonderful community of chefs and also local artisans who really pride themselves on perfecting their crafts from beer, to chocolate, to whiskey, to candy, to salt, to hot sauce—we make everything here. This really inspires us to make delicious things with the ingredients that we have here at home.
And that translates into a community of chefs working together, hanging out together, supporting each other, conversing over and about food, and working to make it happen in a very popular food town.”
MICHELLE LESNIAK
Fashion designer, finalist on project runway
Portland native Michelle Lesniak gained international attention when she was named the winner of Project Runway in 2013. However, it’s Michelle’s journey to fully fledged designer that really caught people’s attention. After spending 10 years in the wine industry, Michelle finally followed her dream into the world of sewing and fashion design. Here, the renowned designer speaks to us about this journey and how Portland has supported her the whole way.
“Growing up in Portland was like being in the best circus family ever. Very supportive of letting your freak flag fly—even through high school which can be a treacherous time for most teenagers. Marching to the beat of your own drum was really important and I think that’s why there’s so much creativity in this town.”
MARCUS HARVEY
PORTLAND GEAR & @PORTLAND INSTAGRAM
Marcus Harvey is the man behind Portland Gear, and has done a great job intersecting his love for art with business. As a passionate Portlander, he crafted a product that people were proud to wear, by Portland for Portland. With Portland’s community-first culture, Marcus was able to craft an authentic product that remains true to the aesthetic of the city and people. With the @Portland Instagram handle under his belt, he has gathered support from the whole city, showcasing the true pride of Portland.
“The concept of community and rooting for the underdog has been around for a long time. Portland is not really corporate and has really embraced the little guys here, the underdogs. Portlanders get behind the weird and the wacky and support their community. There’s a lot of stats that have proved that bigger brands have a hard time here.”
EMILY KATZ
INTERIOR DESIGNER & MACRAME ARTIST
Emily Katz is a designer and macrame artist who spends her days teaching her craft in one-of-a-kind workshops, creating incredible art installations, and travelling the world. She connects with her international community through Instagram—that modern platform for entrepreneurs and portal for creative inspiration.
While her work takes her to bustling cities like LA and New York, she carries the Portland spirit of slowing down and appreciating the natural world with her.
“Portland has a sense of place, people who come from here hold that with them and take that spirit wherever they go. The international Portland community is still rooted in Portland through a love of nature, slowing down.
At the core of what Portlanders value is the opportunity to walk outside and be immersed in nature and have a sense of community.”
OREGON PUBLIC HOUSE:
A BEAUTIFUL MERRIMENT OF NON-PROFIT & BEER LOVE.
RYAN SAARI, PASTOR & BOARD MEMBER OF OPH
STEPHEN GREEN, VC & BOARD MEMBER OF OPH
“Our motto is “Have a pint. Change the world.” Our slogan is “Eat. Drink. Give.” You pick what you want to eat, what you want to drink and where you want your profits to go to from a list of charities that we partner with. Every person that places an order is able to support a cause they believe in, something that they want to give back to. It’s really, really simple.” -Ryan Saari
Stephen Green: “It’s really a “neighbour’s living room”, where you can come and hear about a non-profit and find out about the amazing impacts that they have been having on lives here. But, it’s also a business – we run the back. We run a business that has to be financially sustainable. We are doing both at the same time, and there’s a value proposition in that. I’m really happy on what we have accomplished.
Stephen Green
Ryan Saari
