YETI is back with a holiday campaign that basically says: Think twice before you gift someone a YETI — you might unleash a full-blown adventure monster.
In its first collab with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, the brand drops Don’t Get Them a YETI, a sharp, cinematic cautionary tale directed by Daniel Wolfe and Jess Kohl of Love Song. Narrated by Oscar- and Grammy-winning Yellowstone alum Ryan Bingham, the spot turns a simple gift-giving moment into a full-on adrenaline spiral.
It all starts with a YETI Tundra Cooler flying off the back of a truck and face-planting into the mud — and suddenly our hero is trapped in a fever-dream montage of all the chaos she might unleash by giving someone a YETI. Snake bites. Burns. Rashes. A soaked dog. A punishing slideshow of “epic” trip photos. The voiceover keeps warning her… but the more disastrous it looks, the more irresistible it becomes.
By the end, she caves: this might be a terrible idea — but it’s absolutely the right one.
Because that’s the core truth YETI is leaning into: their gear isn’t just gear. It’s a catalyst. A green light. Permission (or provocation) to go too far and love every second of it. And the brand has zero problem putting its own product through the wringer to prove the point. If it survives the rodeo, a riverbed, and the back of a bush plane, it’ll survive your uncle’s fishing trip. Watch below:
Don’t Get Them a YETI flips the holiday script. It’s not about checking off lists — it’s about the chain reaction you set off when you gift someone something built for extremes.
This marks the first major campaign from YETI and W+K Portland, who are developing a new creative platform and leading media across linear, streaming, and digital to widen the brand’s presence without losing the hardcore audience that made YETI what it is.
The campaign hits just in time for the holiday shopping frenzy. The :60 debuted during Big Ten College Football on November 15, with :30s rolling out across NFL, NBA, NHL, CMA Awards, and major streaming platforms including Netflix, Max, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+. You’ll also spot it during the series premiere of Landman on Paramount+.
YETI wants you to know: once you give someone a cooler built like a tank, you’re not just giving them a gift — you’re giving them momentum. And maybe a few scars. But mostly momentum.
CREDITS:
Brand: YETI
AGENCY: Wieden+Kennedy Portland
- Chief Creative Officer: Felipe Ribeiro
- President: Jason White
- Chief Strategy Officer: Andy Lindblade
- Executive Creative Directors: Pierre Jouffray, Derek Szynal
- Copywriter: Alex Maleski
- Art Director: Brad Trost
- Head of Production: Orlee Tatarka
- Executive Producer: Robert Saxon
- Producer: Byron T. Oshiro
- Director of Business Affairs: Edith Ortiz
- Business Affairs Manager: Joe Chaath
- Traffic: Katie Hall
- Brand Director: Tobin Kittoe
- Brand Manager: Kjersten Patterson
- Operations: Christina Kim, Lauren Walker, Andrea Moulas
- Strategy Director: Anthony Holton
- Media Director: Jason Strickland
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Love Song
- Directors: Daniel Wolfe, Jess Kohl
- Director of Photography: Norm Li
- Executive Producer: Deannie O’Neil
- Managing Partner: Kelly Bayett
- Line Producer: Jenni Haberstock
- Head of Production: Paige Kauffman
POST/ VFX: Trafik
- Flame Artists: Claus Hansen, Patick Hoffacker
- Executive Producer: Karena Ajamian
- VFX Producer: Ricky Lam
- VFX Supervisor: Marc Lougee
- Colourist: Daniel De Vue
- Colour Assistant: Ali Soofi
- Head of Production: Angela Zappella
- Colour Producer: Geoff Linville
EDIT: CARTEL
- Editor: Dan Sherwen
- Edit Assistant: Ramon de Souza
- Managing Director: Lauren Bleiweiss
- Executive Producer: Viet-An Nguyen
- Producer: Cassandra Guardado
MUSIC/SOUND: SOUTH Music
- Creative Directors: Matt Drenik, Dan Pritikin
- Executive Creative Director: Ann Haugen
- Sound Producer: Alina Inés Fox
- Writers: Charles Humenry, Jon Darling
MUSIC/SOUND: Field Day
- Music Mix: Noah Woodburn
- Sound Designer: Morgan Johnson
- Executive Producer: Leslie Carthy
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Mindy Kaling narrates Dunkin’s Munchkin Holiday Tale
