A fed-up woman caught out in a rainstorm in a jacket that was meant to be ‘waterproof’ was met with an unprecedented brand response when she publicly complained about it.
Jennifer Jensen was drenched from head to toe despite wearing a black waterproof rain jacket from outdoor clothing brand North Face.
She was visiting New Zealand from Texas for her 30th birthday and purchased the jacket with ‘DryVent’ fabric for hiking as she knew there was heavy rain predicted.
After making 40-second TikTok clip about it where she demanded a new, better one be delivered to her on the hilltop, a follow up video showed a North Face team member jumping in a helicopter to drop her off a non-faulty alternative.
What started as a lighthearted post as a laugh to her ‘minimal followers’ had become a clever marketing opportunity for the company and resulted in a stunt hailed one of the best brand responses ever.
Jennifer told FEMAIL she was disappointed the jacket had failed her, with the buy ‘soaked through almost immediately’ after the rain started.
Jennifer Jensen was drenched from head to toe while hiking in New Zealand despite wearing a North Face waterproof jacket. The 30-year-old from Texas posted a TikTok video expressing the issue and addressed the company
In the clip Jennifer recorded herself walking in the rain and addressed the company directly.
‘I’ve got a bone to pick with North Face. I bought this “rain jacket” a couple days ago and the tag for the advertising said that it’s waterproof, as a rain jacket would be,’ she began.
‘Well listen, I’m 100 per cent sure it’s raining outside and I’m soaking wet.
‘Listen, I don’t want a refund. I want you to redesign this raincoat to make it waterproof and express delivery it up to the top of Hooker Valley Lake in New Zealand where I will be waiting. I’ll be the only one up here looking like a drowned rat. Waterproof my a**.’
The TikTok video quickly went viral and reached The North Face marketing team who not only reached out to offer her a new rain jacket but to ask Jennifer to be part of a marketing video involving a helicopter.
The second clip published on The North Face TikTok page shows a worker grabbing a red women’s jacket before jumping in a helicopter.
They met Jennifer in the mountains to personally deliver her the jacket, as she had asked for express delivery.
‘Thanks North Face!’ she said at the end with a smile and the video has been viewed more than four million times.
The North Face worked with Jennifer to create a response video posted on TikTok. It shows a worker grabbing a new jacket and delivering it directly to her via helicopter
Pictured: The new jacket gifted to Jennifer by the company
Jennifer said she’s not sure why the first jacket didn’t work properly and wondered if it was just a ‘one-off faulty product issue’.
‘I’d never had issues with North Face products before,’ she said.
‘I made that short video thinking only my best friend would see it because I didn’t have a lot of followers at the time. I never imaged it would go viral and I didn’t post it expecting it would get any traction.
‘I’m not an influencer and never set out to be one. I was just trying to make an unfortunate situation funny and lighthearted. I’m glad the company reached out to make amends for the customer experience let-down. It was a very fun and unexpected adventure.
‘I did test out the new North Face jacket a few days later on another rainy New Zealand hike. It worked like a charm and I stayed very dry the entire eight miles (12km).’
Both videos combined have exceeded a staggering 16million views.
‘Well done marketing team, perfect response,’ one person commented, another said: ‘They saw an opportunity and absolutely smashed it.’
A another wrote: ‘This is customer service.’
‘A brand that understood the assignment,’ someone else said.
One person said they’re ‘very impressed’ and another commented: ‘Say WHAT? I think they may have redeemed themselves.’
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