Within hours of launching the original campaign, I received a phone call from Rossignol Group’s senior management. They thanked us for supporting the brand and told me they would be tracking the outreach. The visibility of the promotion was impressive, not only on Pugski.com but also on Facebook and other ski-related sites; the campaign went global and running with the hashtag we created, #bringbackthe15.
We saw that Look was taking the concept seriously two years ago when it brought back one of our designs, the yellow-to-orange Forza motif, on both the Pivot 14 and Pivot 18. The Forza was an immediate sales success, and we couldn’t go a day on the slopes without seeing a few pairs out on the hill. One of our loyal readers who works as a retailer commented that whenever someone asked specifically for the Forza, he knew they had heard about it on Pugski.com.
Why the push to bring back a binding that was discontinued a decade ago? One that might only sell into the hundreds, not nearly the volume of some of the more popular bindings? Simple: people are willing to pay for quality and durability in a proven all-metal housing. Look already offers the Pivot 14; with a similar setting of 5-14, it retails for $70 less than the upcoming Pivot 15, which will retail for $399, the same price as the burlier-springed Pivot 18. We have said many times, "When you are buying a better binding, you are buying not a bigger spring but a better housing”; since the 15 and 18 have identical all-metal housings, it makes sense that their prices would be identical.
The vast majority of adult skiers have a binding setting below 8, which is where the Pivot 18 starts; the Pivot 15 will be the answer for those skiers who may not weigh a lot or have a higher-than-average binding setting but still want the best-built option available. Look understands that the highest performance does not need to be limited to those who require the biggest spring; this is why the Pivot 15, with a reasonable setting of 6-15, had such a loyal following and was hoarded by better skiers all over the world.
For 2020-21, Look will be offering the Pivot 15 in three colorways. It will continue the Forza 2.0 motif with an all-new purple-to-fuscia fade with yellow accents, Gold to be paired with Dynastar’s upcoming M-Pro series, and Raw, an unpainted version to highlight Rossignol’s new Black Ops collection. Like the Pivot 18 that carries over, the reintroduced 15 will be GripWalk-compatible and come in 95, 115, and 130mm brake widths.
We look forward to seeing these new offerings out on the hill. It is very satisfying to know that Pugski.com and our readers' voices were heard and that Look as a brand listened to its customer base. Now, call your favorite retailer and let them know, "If you stock it, they will come."