Timberland Returns to Park City as the 'Official Footwear and Outerwear Sponsor' of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival

STRATHAM, N.H., Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Timberland today announced it will return as the Official Footwear and Outerwear Sponsor of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 19 – 29, 2012 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, as part of its "Fade to Green" film festival program. For the fourth consecutive year, Timberland will outfit the Festival's celebrated filmmakers with warm, outdoor-proven footwear and apparel for comfort, style and protection from the winter elements at Park City.  The brand will also launch a fun, interactive environmental initiative on-site at the Festival and online via Timberland social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter, to inspire Festival attendees and followers alike to protect the outdoors for future generations.

"The Sundance Film Festival is the perfect venue to showcase style and performance in action, and our gear packs the right amount of power and panache to allow filmmakers and attendees to do both," said Maile Buker, senior director of marketing for Timberland North America – and former Park City resident. "When you're out braving the elements of Park City at the Sundance Film Festival, it's important to not only have the right gear to stay warm and protected, but also to look and feel great.  Additionally, through the onsite presence we have planned for the 2012 Festival, attendees will also have the opportunity to share Timberland's passion for preserving our most valuable resource – the outdoors – by working together to protect and conserve the environment. We're excited to announce more details in the coming weeks."

"We greatly appreciate the continued enthusiasm that longtime sponsor Timberland brings to the Sundance Film Festival," said Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute. "We are pleased to collaborate with a supporter that believes in the Sundance Institute mission of connecting artists and audiences, and we look forward to sharing with them the excitement of the 2012 Festival."

This January, Timberland will showcase the latest from the Earthkeepers® collection, the brand's most eco-minded collection of footwear and outerwear. Styles include a range of green features such as recycled leathers, organic cotton laces, and Green Rubber^™ outsoles made from 42 percent recycled rubber. Festival goers will be able to stay warm in great-looking performance gear that's also easy on the environment.

Timberland has always been about building community, and through its film festival program "Fade to Green" the brand has built a platform for establishing a strong connection to film festivals.  The pioneering spirit and ingenuity that inspires film festivals is a reminder that, like Timberland, film goes beyond commerce, and is about innovation, self expression and style.  By raising awareness and inspiring action together, communities have the ability to affect real change and create a better, more sustainable world.

Throughout the Fall 2011 season, consumers had a chance to create their own star-inspired looks at a series of Timberland "Sundance Film Festival Style Night Out" events held in New York, Boston and San Francisco. Event guests and consumers at home were encouraged to submit a photo of their favorite outdoor style expression to the Timberland Sundance Film Festival "Girlfriend Getaway" Sweepstakes on Facebook for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip for four to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, courtesy of Southwest Airlines, The Chateaux at Silver Lake and Deer Valley® Resort.  The lucky winner – Charisse Arce of Seattle, WA – and her three friends will be joining Timberland in Park City, attending film screenings, making memories of their own with a new camera, hitting the slopes at Deer Valley, and posing for a personal outdoor photo shoot equipped with Timberland® footwear, apparel and accessories to keep them stylish, warm and comfortable.

Those who can't attend the festival can follow live updates, discussions with filmmakers, and exclusive video content, as well as join the conversation by following @Timberland on Twitter and watch for updates on the Timberland Facebook page.  

About Timberland
Timberland, a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation, is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it.  Timberland markets products under the Timberland®, Timberland PRO®, Mountain Athletics®, Timberland Boot Company® and howies® brands, all of which offer quality workmanship and detailing and are built to withstand the elements of nature.  The company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores as well as Timberland® retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South America, South Africa and the Middle East.  Timberland's dedication to making quality products is matched by the company's commitment to "doing well and doing good" -- forging powerful partnerships among employees, consumers and service partners to transform the communities in which they live and work.  To learn more about Timberland, please visit www.timberland.com.   

About the Sundance Film Festival
A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors — Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire ^SM; Leadership Sponsors — Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors — Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, Grey Goose® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L'Oreal Paris, Stella Artois®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTube™. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute's year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

CONTACT:
Christina Petroni
Porter Novelli
(212) 601-8164
[email protected]

SOURCE Timberland