Yonder rewinds moments of adventure in new REI campaign

Full-service content studio Yonder rewinds unforgettable outdoor moments in REI Co-op’s new holiday campaign, revealing how every adventure begins with the perfect gift from its stores. 

Collaborating on creative and handling production and post from end to end, Yonder delivers a fresh, cinematic campaign that ties holiday giving to the spirit of exploration.

Directed by Matthew Gamlen, the spots are joyful, kinetic, and grounded in real moments. By reversing time, viewers are guided from peak experiences in nature back through laughter, reflection, and connection, to the moment an REI gift is unwrapped, and finally, back to its origins on REI’s shelves. The result highlights REI as the catalyst for discovery and shared experiences.

 The campaign underscores Yonder and Gamlen's ability to develop compelling narrative devices that serve dual purposes: highlighting products in authentic contexts while reinforcing core brand values. Working as REI’s integrated content partner, Yonder managed the entire creative pipeline from brief through delivery, demonstrating the efficiency gains brands achieve when working with a single, full-service studio.

“REI’s in-house creative team came up with this idea and I immediately thought, wow, this is brave!” said Gamlen. “The concept brought me back to the music videos that first inspired me to pursue filmmaking, experimenting with production techniques and asking a little more of the audience. At a time when many brands are chasing trends and producing content simply to fill the feed, this felt truly refreshing. Collaborating with their team was seamless because we speak the same language. We’re all passionate about the outdoors and committed to pushing how stories in this space are told.”

"The beauty of working with Yonder is their expertise in shaping brand DNA into visual storytelling," explains David Clancy, Managing Producer at REI. "Rather than simply showcasing products, we created an emotional journey that connects the intention behind gift-giving with the transformative power of the outdoors."

Developed through Yonder's brand-direct partnership model, the campaign leverages comprehensive brand knowledge accumulated through ongoing collaboration with REI. This approach allows for more nuanced creative development and faster execution cycles compared to traditional agency structures, while maintaining the creative excellence and production values that drive meaningful consumer engagement.

By blending bold creative ideas with nimble production practices, Yonder demonstrates how modern content studios can partner directly with brands to deliver campaigns that inspire, engage, and scale across today’s media landscape.