The North Face is expanding its Earth Day-inspired Clothes The Loop recycling program with a social media campaign asking users to upload photos of themselves recycling products to be entered to win a $100 gift card, but may miss the mark with leveraging the cause for brand awareness.

The clothing retailer, known for its fleece jackets and outdoor sports gear, has previously rolled out this campaign, although some experts believe that its hashtags will not see significant traffic on social media. The North Face seeks to drive more people to its bricks-and-mortar locations by encouraging them to bring their recyclable goods to input into the Clothes The Loop bins, available in all 83 of its stores, to receive a voucher for a brand discount.

?It's very admirable, but importance from a revenue perspective is tough to define - you can't just put on your Captain Planet cape one day a year and expect to make consumers feel warm and fuzzy feelings for your brand,? said James McNally, director of business development at Fuzz Productions, Brooklyn, NY. ?Brands that align well with eco-consciousness are brands that live that message and mission every single day in every product. To be fair, The North Face does a good job with this positioning overall.?

Social media strategy
The North Face?s move of integrating corporate social responsibility with a social media outreach campaign is a sound tactic for the brand.

It is asking social media users to upload images of themselves recycling products onto Twitter and Instagram, using the designated #ClothesTheLoop and #TNFContest hashtags. The brand will automatically enter any guest who tags his or her friends to participate in the campaign for a chance to win $100 to spend at The North Face?s Web site or bricks-and-mortar store.

In celebration of Earth Day, which on April 22, the retailer will also make a $5 donation to the Conversation Alliance organization on behalf of each customer who brings their used items in to a Clothes The Loop bin.

The social media sweepstakes is running from April 20 through April 26.

However, some experts believe that the subject matter does not lend itself well to become a trending topic or have stunning visuals that will pick up buzz.

?The North Face picked something that unfortunately probably does not lend itself well to great or compelling photos,? Mr. McNally said.

In-store component
The brand is hoping to find a second life for plenty of pre-owned apparel and footwear items that will otherwise be wasted. Consumers that bring in their used apparel to The North Face stores across the nation will be able to earn a reward for doing so.

After the products, which can be from any brand, are deposited in the Clothes The Loop bins, guests should ask a store associate for a voucher, valid toward any purchase of The North Face items.

The brand is also donating $5 for each store visitor who recycles their clothing to the Conservation Alliance, which funds community-based campaigns to preserve wild habitats.

Clothing that is deposited as part of the campaign will be sorted based on 400 categories and reused or recycled into raw materials for new clothing fibers, insulation, stuffing for toys and carpet padding.

Ultimately, while the campaign certainly reflects positively on the brand and its commitment to recyclable goods and the environment, the subject matter may fail to boost much attention from those who are not passionate about the same causes.

?I think that there will be some spike in The North Face-related posts, but this isn't going to be a blockbuster,? Mr. McNally said.

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York