Strayed described her encounters with REI employees in her book: “Every last one of them could talk about gear, and with interest and nuance, for a length of time that was so dumbfounding that I was ultimately bedazzled by it.”20 In 2014, Wild was released as a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon. The film stayed true to the story and highlighted REI’s role in Strayed’s journey without the company having to pay any product placement fees. It was terrific exposure for REI, introducing moviegoers to the outstanding customer service that millions of its customers already knew so well.
