Is Zuckerberg building an apocalypse bunker? He says no. The 465sqm underground space he is adding to the construction of Koolau Ranch on Hawaii’s Kauai island is”just like a little shelter, it’s like a basement”. Many other wealthy tech bros are building off-grid survival refuges though.

So adam&eve\TBWA and Columbia sportswear thought they’d have a little fun with the idea. It fits in with Columbia sportswear CEO, Tim Boyle’s 2025 Engineered for Whatever idea, Expedition Impossible, that challenged flat Earthers to find the edge of the planet to win all the company’s assets.

Columbia Sportswear will deliver a 12-metre off-grid bunker (a recycled shipping container), fully fitted with a bunk bed, kitchen and dining area, bathroom, survival supplies, tools, a robotic dog named Rocky and Columbia jackets sealed in emergency cans, to someone who can demonstrate they have the outdoor skills, ingenuity, and resilience to survive without one.

The competition is introduced in a video directed by Smuggler director, Benji Weinstein, and featuring Boyle touring the bunker’s amenities, which include a robotic dog and Columbia jackets sealed in emergency cans.

The full Don’t Panic Room campaign includes a print ad in The New York Times and Washington Post and billboards across Silicon Valley targeting the wealthy tech crowd.

The canned outerwear includes Columbia’s Terwilliger Trail Heat Seal Hooded Jacket, which features the brand’s Omni-Heat Infinity reflective technology, inspired by emergency blankets – because everything will go out when the world ends.

To enter the contest, participants submit videos through Instagram or the campaign website, columbia.com/bunker, until the end of November 24, showing off their outdoor survival skills. The bunker will be delivered to the winner with a US$35,000 cash prize.

The humorous dig at tech execs spending vast amounts to prepare for the end of the world also underlines Columbia’s products being engineered for weather extremes.

Expedition Impossible won ten Cannes Lions this year, including a Titanium and the Grand Prix in Brand Experience & Activation.