Stept's Mike Parenteau Directs Ode To Adventure For The North Face

Creative and production studio Stept has partnered with The North Face for this “Have You Ever” campaign. Created to celebrate the moments in life that adventure was made for, “Have You Ever” aims to inspire explorers everywhere to go out and discover these moments for themselves.

Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest serving National Park Ranger in the United States, and a woman who knows a little bit about adventure, narrates the brand anthem to help launch the campaign. Her words act as an ode not only to exploration but to the courage and boldness of those who are willing to embrace uncertainty, challenge themselves and move beyond their comfort zone in search of something more. Whether it’s seeing sunrise above a mountain, climbing so hard your arms scream at you to stop, or even stepping away from the concrete and onto the trail for the very first time, these moments matter.

The film is directed by Stept’s Mike Parenteau, who was a natural fit for the project as he has spent a lifetime exploring the mountains. The campaign was shot over six days on the desert in Moab, Utah, and throughout California, with a small crew and cast including some of The North Face’s most elite athletes, alongside several everyday adventure enthusiasts.

“When The North Face reached out to us about this campaign, our whole team was excited to get back in the outdoors,” said Stept co-founder and director Nick Martini. “A decade ago, The North Face was one of Stept’s first clients, and they are a prominent part of our company story. We are so happy to continue the journey together.”

The campaign is another example of Stept’s distinctive ability to find and create authentic stories for brands. While developing the script, they knew that whoever did the voiceover needed to be somebody with a really unique connection to the outdoors, who spoke with wisdom and had lived this sentiment. When Stept creative director Mary Grace Moseley was searching for women with this background, she recalled hearing Betty Reid Soskin on the Moth podcast, where she recounted her personal story of living alone at the age of 95. She was absolutely hilarious. After watching many interviews and learning that she had become an NPS Park Ranger in her 80’s, it was obvious that Betty was the perfect person to bestow this powerful message.