In a marketing move that blends bold humour with a direct challenge to conspiracy theorists, the chief executive of a global sportswear brand has put his multi-billion pound company on the line. Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, has promised to hand over the keys to his entire £3billion enterprise to anyone who can definitively prove that the Earth is flat.
The Billion-Pound Challenge
The audacious offer was launched as part of a new advertising campaign from the outdoor apparel giant. In a video posted to Columbia's official YouTube channel on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Boyle issued a direct address to flat Earth believers. Dressed casually in a navy quarter-zip and a red-and-white checked shirt, the CEO laid down the gauntlet.
"This message is for flat Earthers," Boyle stated. "You guys claim there's an end to the Earth? Well just go snap a picture. Send it to us – and you get the assets to the company. All of it." He emphasised the simplicity of the deal, claiming, "No paperwork, no lawyers, no catches."
A Tongue-in-Cheek Tour and Legal Reality
The humorous tone of the video was immediately underscored when a man appearing to be from the company's legal team, dressed in a formal black suit, interrupted. "Um, Tim, there is some paperwork," he interjected, providing a moment of corporate realism amidst the fantastical premise.
Undeterred, Boyle continued, taking viewers on a light-hearted tour of Columbia's facilities. He gestured to racks of jackets and jumpers, stating, "we're giving you all this." He went on to humorously list other assets a successful claimant would acquire, including the office printer, photoshoot cameras, outgoing parcels, a colleague's lunch, a stapler, an elk wall mount, and a whiteboard.
The Historical Context of a Spherical Planet
Boyle's confidence in his company's security is rooted in centuries of established science. While the first recorded flat Earth ideas originated in ancient Mesopotamia, the spherical nature of our planet was widely accepted by educated scholars by around 300 BCE, thanks to the work of figures like Pythagoras and Aristotle.
The Greeks even calculated the Earth's circumference with remarkable accuracy. Early evidence included the curved shadow the Earth casts on the Moon during lunar eclipses. In the modern era, the ability to photograph the planet from high altitudes has made its curvature irrefutably documentable.
Signing off the video, Boyle offered some brand-appropriate advice to would-be provers: "Hey, flat Earthers: do me a favour. If you're going to the edge of the Earth, wear a Columbia. You'll need it. Best of luck." The campaign stands as one of the most high-value—and scientifically safe—bets in corporate marketing history.
