The Power of Nau

Remember Apple's "Think Different" advertising campaign?

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

People loved that series of ads because it put into words how we saw our icons (people such as Einstein, John and Yoko, and Mandela), and, secretly, ourselves.

When someone sent one of the ads to me recently, I wondered if - rather than simply producing products that are aligned with our values - business could be a force for change in the world?

The answer is yes.

The founders of an outdoor apparel company set out to "think different" in every way, and turn the traditional business model inside out. The company would be designed from the ground up, and every decision would be made through the lens of sustainability.

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That company is Nau (a Polynesian word meaning "welcome", it's pronounced "now"). Ian Yolles, Nau's marketing director, describes it this way: "We wanted to do more than generate a profit. We wanted to integrate economic, environmental, and social factors into our business model."

Consider Nau's design philosophy. Every garment blends three attributes: performance, beauty, and sustainability. Ian says this isn't the norm. "In the design world, the dominant thinking is that these three things are antithetical to one another - if you have technical characteristics you can't possibly build in sustainability because that would compromise performance, or if you want to the garment to perform, it can't look good."

At Nau, things are, well, different. Take their Courier Windshirt as an example. From a sustainability point of view, it's made from recycled polyester that comes from pop bottles. And the entire shirt can be reconstructed and recycled, taken down to the polymer level so that new yarn and fabric can be made. On the performance side, the shirt is waterproof and breathable, with four-way stretch, so you can - for instance - bike to work in it. Plus, it looks really hip, so you can wear it out to a bar or restaurant in the evening.

And here's what's so telling about this tiny company with its big ideas - it attracted a disproportionate amount of attention and interest. For instance, in 2007, TIME named them one of their "25 creative icons who are shaping the future", along with Miuccia Prada, Andrew Weil, and Norman Foster. Clearly, they were on to something.

You'll notice that I used the past tense. That's because, earlier this year, Nau went out of business. Under pressure of tight financial and retail markets, Nau halted operations after 14 months and closed its five stores.

But these are the "crazy ones", right? So Nau has come back to life. "When we made the decision to close the business and announced it," Ian told me, "The outpouring of response from customers and suppliers was overwhelming. We realized that people weren't responding to a commercial enterprise that no longer existed, but to a set of ideas and a way of thinking about the world."

So a core group of Nau staffers got on their phones and started looking for a partner who could help them breathe life into Nau Version 2.0. And, in short order, they found one: Horny Toad Activewear agreed to buy the brand. A scaled-down version of Nau will be launched in October (for instance, the line will now be available through like-minded retailers, rather than through Nau stores), but the founding ideas remain the same. In fact, Nau's impeccable backstory is not just an important part of the product line, it's fundamental to it. "Gordon [Seabury, Horny Toad's president] recognized the value of a highly differentiated product, and a company built on sustainable principles," Ian says. "He understood that you can use business as a tool to contribute to the community."

Now, if you've been following this series of articles - about how people like you can re-imagine your work so that it has more meaning and makes a difference in the world (for more, see archived articles about the New Radicals) - you may be wondering what this has to do with the notion of personal branding introduced last Saturday.

Nau is such a great branding example - full of lessons we can apply to our own lives - that it made sense to share their resurrection story. In fact, as you'll see in a moment, Ian Yolles is a classic New Radical.

Last week, I wrote that there are three related questions to consider when creating a brand for yourself.

The first question is "Who are you?" This gets at the essence of the brand - what's fundamental and unchanging. Marketers call this the "core identity"; you might think of it as your character. As we've worked through this process, you've been learning more about your strengths, your values, and what's most important to you at this stage of your life. Answering this question can be moving: you're putting into words what you know about deepest parts of yourself, and becoming aware that your answers mean a great deal to you, and will also matter to others.

Some emerging New Radicals found that everything they have done up until this point creates an ideal calling card. In fact, everything they've done in their lives allows them to take the next step. This was true for Ian.

The founder of Nau, Eric Reynolds, called Ian one day and said he was thinking about starting a company, and could they talk. Ian soon came to an important realization.

"I started with Outward Bound, because I had a passion for the natural world and personal transformation. I went to the Body Shop because I was interested in the idea of progressive business and corporate social responsibility, as well as Anita Roddick's idea of using business as an apparatus to promote and activate social and environmental change. Then I went to Patagonia, a company with a sense of social purpose. And at Nike, I got the branding and marketing experience that turned out to be vital for my role at Nau. When I first talked to Eric, I felt that the entire arc of my professional life led up to this point. And I was going to be part of something that embodied all of my previous experience - and all of my principles."

Do you remember the "Think Different" ads? Do you see yourself as a "round peg in a square hole"? Do you think that the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do? Are you in the process of re-imagining your work? And have you been able to make the case for why you are the right person for the job?

[Photo by Daniel Sharp]

Comments

[mamacat]

One might consider the way the whole Scandinavian peninsula (including Iceland) does business. They seem to never forget that if they don't take care of their people, they have no reason for being in business. The whole Scandinavian way of life is fantastic. Much of Europe is more people oriented than we are here in the U.S.

[ktano0]

I just came bacl from their website, as I was interested in the windshirt....site is so hip, I couldn't find anything. Suggestions?

[IanYolles]

ktano0,

Due to the business transition that Julia mentioned in her post we are not currently selling product on our website. That's why you couldn't find our Courier Windshirt. We're re-designing our website and will re-launch in mid-October when we introduce our Fall 08 line. Please be patient and check back with us then. If you want to receive specific information about the timing of our re-launch feel free to register for our monthly digital newsletter Off The Grid. You can do so here:
http://www.nau.com/register.html
Thanks for your patience.
Ian

[Mort]

New company, old concept. They've been making velour vests and jackets from recycled plastics for years. I've had a vest for almost 8 years, and it's just as warm and nice as it was when it was new.