We and other media outlets have reported that the NRA has crtiicized YETI after the company ended its sponsorship of Friends of the NRA events. Following is a statement from YETI:

A few weeks ago, YETI notified the NRA Foundation, as well as a number of other organizations, that we were eliminating a group of outdated discounting programs. When we notified the NRA Foundation and the other organizations of this change, YETI explained that we were offering them an alternative customization program broadly available to consumers and organizations, including the NRA Foundation. These facts directly contradict the inaccurate statement the NRA-ILA distributed on April 20.

Further, the NRA-ILA stated in that same public communication that “[YETI has] declined to continue helping America’s young people enjoy outdoor recreational activities.” Nothing is further from the truth. YETI was founded more than 10 years ago with a passion for the outdoors, and over the course of our history we have actively and enthusiastically supported hunters, anglers and the broader outdoor community. We have been devoted to and will continue to directly support causes tied to our passion for the outdoors, including by working with many organizations that promote conservation and management of wildlife resources and habitat restoration. From our website to our film footage and from our social media posts to our ambassadors, YETI has always prominently featured hunters pursuing their passions. Moreover, YETI is unwavering in our belief in and commitment to the Constitution of the United States and its Second Amendment.

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105 COMMENTS

  1. Baloney public affairs garbage. I will believe them when they post a photo of their CEO shooting an AR15 with a bump stock. And donate money from every product sale to the NRA.

      • Until Pelican stops paying off the NRA then they will be branded too. I guess that the new way for the NRA to get corporate money and KEEP it.

        • I disagree, let the contract expire and it never makes the news, cancel your sponsorship under pressure since you have weak nut corporate execs, and you will pay dearly.

          We never forgot Cheaper Than Dirt, and they are still suffering today

        • Yeti says on its twitter and Facebook page:

          _
          _
          YETI is unwavering in our belief in and commitment to the Constitution of the United States and its Second Amendment
          _
          _

          That’s good enough for me, and good enough to make the mainstream media and leftists everywhere cringe up.

          https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DbfaPSWUQAAm8n8.jpg:large

          NRA should drop the attacks.

        • Muhammad, it only made news because the NRA tweeted it. None of the other organizations, like the quail Coalition or Safari Club International made it news. So you didn’t hear about it. This is fully on the NRA.

        • “cancel your sponsorship under pressure since you have weak nut corporate execs”

          Evidence?

        • Yes, let’s not fault Yeti for walking away from the NRA, in the midst of the biggest, most successful gun control push in a decade, whilst tons of other companies have been convinced by the media to do that very thing. Maybe Yeti should’ve thought about the timing in all this? Because the anti gun movement already chalked this up as a win, and emboldened them. Make no mistake, we’re staring at a bigger threat than childish corperate loyalty right now. This new gun control movement is much stronger than the ones we’ve faced before, and we’re much more divided and weaker than ever before. If we can’t march in lockstep we’ll lose. They’ll conquer us via division. This isn’t small potatoes, we need every victory we can get right now. I think yeti deserves every bit of criticism for this, for none other reason than to send a message that we cannot be cowed.

        • Muhammed,

          We never forgot Cheaper Than Dirt, and they are still suffering today

          It turns out – they were cheaper than dirt!

        • Anonymous, notice that it wasn’t the media that alerted anyone to Yeti’s decision, nor was it Yeti. It was the NRA itself, playing the victim, as usual.

          Yeti has already addressed this directly. There is no appeasement, no back peddling. No corporate double speak. They are flat out saying the NRA is lying, and I believe them.

          Again, the only people whining was the NRA, you didn’t hear any “virtue signaling” from Yeti. They intended to still do businesses with the NRA and offer them other discount programs.
          Apparently those programs just weren’t profitable enough for the NRA, so they whined until they got someone else to pony up.

      • “we were offering them an alternative customization program broadly available to consumers and organizations”

        In other words you will pay full MSRP like everybody else. That’s the same weasel language the anti-gunners use when they “support the second amendment” because they grew up around guns and support the right to hunt

    • If they shoot it with a bump stock, the NRA would disown them. So that’s how you can keep from paying off the NRA and not be classified as anti second amendment company, brilliant!!

  2. So, the NRA didn’t like the new pricing structure and instead of working it out between themselves or just severing ties they decide to elude to Yeti ending their business relationship due to political pandring, not the NRAs unwillingness to pay more for Yetis NRA branded product. Thats pretty slimy. Just ONE more reason to support GOA or NSSF and not the FUDDS at the NRA.

    • Just another attempt to undermine and render ineffective the strongest voice we have for the defense of the 2nd Amendment. It must be frustrating to see the ineffectiveness of the effort.

      • If by “defending” you mean giving away our rights slowly for the last 100 or so years, you’re right. My grandfather never heard the number 4473 and would laugh at the concept of a “background check”, but thanks to the NRAs awesome defense of our gun rights we now have the NFA and the Machine gun act as well as the Brady bill. What a GREAT job. If your CANCER DOCTOR had the track record the NRA has, you’d damn sure be looking for a different doctor! With friends like the NRA who needs enemas?

  3. Yeti gave me yet another reason not to spend my money with them. Back pedaling press releases are just sad.

  4. Who cares? Yeti coolers are way overpriced and made mostly in the Philippines. Some of their products are made in China such as their travel coffee cup. Orca and Grizzly coolers are made in the USA and are as high or higher quality than Yeti. Boycotts work both ways. Don’t buy their overpriced crap.

    • And Orca and Grizzly are probably not stupid enough to get involved with the NRA. And if they are, they know they better keep paying them off.

    • Yep. Can’t boycott something you never bought. I never imagined that a cooler company could become so slick that folks would put stickers of their cooler brand on the back window of their $50000 truck or SUV!? It’s ridiculous that it reached that level of status symbol in the first place. It’s a freakin’ cooler!

  5. That’s just downright slimy. Yeti phased out their old discount program, but the NRA didn’t like the new prices, so they slandered the company and claimed it was over politics.

    • NRA is just flexing their muscles, have to keep the rest of the corporate money in line. I wonder how many companies would be willing to get involved with the NRA if they were not trying to pull market share from the premium brand in a segment.

      • Like hell, I could care less about Yeti. I hate it when political organizations strong arm corporations (I live in Illinois).

        I hate it more when the NRA starts attacking people for no longer supporting them. Because like it or not we need the NRA to keep our second amendment right intact. But how is burring bridges going to help? No one on the left even knew about Yeti UNTIL the NRA press release.

        If the NRA was smart, they would have contacted Pelican or RITC and then worked out a deal and then later shown that the new arrangement was beneficial to the new sponsor. NOT burn bridges.

        • I’m pretty sure the NRA is winning the public disagreement so I’d be hesitant to act like they’re doing the wrong thing. Out with one and probably a better deal for all others. Damn good business & negotiating.

        • My apologies binder, I’m an NRA life member, and am generally tired of the guys that bash the NRA because they “are not strong enough”.

          I reacted in haste to accuse you of being a shill, obviously not the case.

      • I love how as soon as someone has a different opinion on ANYTHING on this site, they are immediatly called a shill and a troll or a plant. What a bunch of assholes. Can you really not see the NRA being slimy here?

  6. I might believe them if they singled themselves out and STOOD out with this added line

    YETI has always prominently featured hunters AND THOSE WHO USE MODERN SPORTING ARMS pursuing their passions. Moreover, YETI is unwavering in our belief in and commitment to the Constitution of the United States and its Second Amendment IN ITS ENTIRETY .

    At least it would say –we lean towards supporting AR’s the media lefties hate so much?

    AKA don’t half ass it –stand out or fall down!

  7. The 2nd Amendment was not, is not, will never be, about hunting.

    10 to 1, YETI saw a huge drop in sales.

    • I sent them an e mail and they replied with this half ass answer. I think they are in survival mode.

    • “..10 to 1, YETI saw a huge drop in sales.”

      The more immediate result was an over-flowing inbox from everyone hitting the Contact Us link on their website.

  8. I wrote Yeti customer service yesterday asking them to explain their decision. A few minutes ago I received the canned response in the article. At least a little bit of personalization would be nice. Unless they have several thousand emails to answer.

  9. I got the same email today after letting them know how I feel on Saturday.

    I call BS on their response. It’s just backpedaling after a really stupid politics-based decision.

    What are the other companies and why did it take this long after the crapstorm started to come up with this? Let’s see the actual notification sent to the NRA.

  10. Kind of like what happens in a defensive gun use, there is a natural tendency to believe the first party raising the alarm and telling its side of the story. If the second party that is late to tell its side is to be believed, there better be some good evidence. If this really was a simple misunderstanding, please post the letter regarding the termination of an outdated discount program, and the offer to continue support via other means. Otherwise, on the other side of this, you have Marion Hammer claiming that Yeti no longer wishes to be an NRA vendor, and that they will no longer sell products to The NRA Foundation.

    One party is lying here. Let’s both put all of the cards on the table.

    In other respects, Yeti’s statement is ambiguous at best. Support for the Second Amendment? Shannon Watts, Michael Bloomberg, and Gabrielle Giffords also “support” the Second Amendment. That, in and of itself, doesn’t say anything. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and this communication is sorely lacking in it.

  11. Just my 2cents. In the political atmosphere we are currently in, the NRA threw a premature temper tantrum before understanding what Yeti was trying to convey. We may never know or even care.

  12. Crickets……silence about the 2nd Amendment. Yeti is based in Austin, Texas, one of the liberal bastions here. To be expected. Gear is overpriced and there are other brands out there that are just as good and a whole lot less money. Never bought a Yeti product and for sure, never will now. Hope they suffer.

    • If all you hear is crickets then you are deaf. Yeti had this statement out on social media the this morning.
      And Yeti is in Austin because they are from the little town of Dripping Springs, about 40 minutes west of Austin. There isn’t a huge employee base in a town with a population of 600 people and Austin is the nearest Big City. I grew up with these guys. They hunt, they fish, they shoot.

        • Morning, JW, I haven’t been out towards Dripping Springs in many years. Has Austin encroached to the city limits yet?

        • 4808 N I’m answering for JW since I live here too. No, Austin hasn’t encroached on Dripping springs yet unless you count the growing number of distilleries and breweries. Nothing like what Bastrop the other direction has become

        • JWT, I live here. In fact, I’m close enough to hear you slobbering on Yeti’s knob. Give it a rest. You sound like Guns and Ammo pimping for Remington

  17. I would like to see the notification received by the NRA before I pass judgement but I am inclined to believe that Yeti tried to distance themselves from the NRA.

  18. Wow. I’ve never seen so many sock puppets on one blog in quite a long time. Way to go, Yeti!

    • I’m soldily with Yeti on this. They also canceled the same deal with the Quail Coalition and Safari Club International at the same time. This statement has been out on their social media since this morning.
      Their story checks out. The NRA’s, again, doesn’t.

      • I agree, the NRA statement sounded like a hit job; I’m inclined to thing that the NRA needs to spend more time defending the second amendment and less time defending its corporate relationships.

      • so exactly what are the other orgs that were dropped as well? sound look like hunting/progun to me- but honestly didnt bother to look. so is yeti anti potg if these other orgs are progun? either way, pretty shitty pr corrspondence on their part. while i dont trust the nra in its entirety- yetis remarks strike me as virtue signaling.

  19. Oh, dear.

    How many Yeti coolers were innocently slaughtered and their ‘snuff-flick’ murder posted on YouTube?

    #NoMoreMurderedYetis…

  20. “A few weeks ago, YETI notified the NRA Foundation, as well as a number of other organizations…..” This leads me to believe that YETI continued its previous relationships with some/other organizations. Which would mean that they intentionally and selectively ended the relationship with the NRA “as well as a number of other organizations”. I would be interested to know which other organizations they ended the previous “outdated discount program” and which organizations they continue to offer the same “outdated discount program” to. If they ended all relationships under this program at the same time, I would be willing to grant them the benefit of the doubt as it would seem a business decision. If they continued some but not others, then it was a value decision and they have lost me as a customer.

  21. It will be a long time, and a lot of personnel changes, before I ever give a dime to the NRA again.

    • Ah yes, divided and conquered we shall be. Meanwhile, liberals are quite united right now. Like it or not, the NRA is the only game in town that matters. Didn’t see libtards holding up many “GOA are terrorists” signs. Maybe you whiney people should try the Pink Pistols.

      • Whiney people? That’s the NRA the victim culture you’ve bought into. Yeti didn’t report on the change, the media didn’t report on the change, the NRA did.
        When the NRA didn’t get as profitable of a deal as they wanted, they went after a for-profit company that has been nothing but supportive of the 2nd Amendment.
        So who’s dividing who here?
        The NRA needs to clean house before they can look patriots in eye with any integrity.

        • So JW, do you automatically disqualify everything the NRA says? Do you take everything that Yeti says as fact? Personally (like several other posters) I want more facts before I make up my mind as to who is telling the truth in this case.

  22. They “support the Second Amendment”, huh? Anyone know if their HQ still prohibits concealed carry?

  23. The NRA does not deserve any money from anyone due to their less than stellar record with the 2nd Amendment. Good for Yeti. You don’t have to cave to the corrupt gun union (NRA) to support gun rights…

  24. With every cooler, YETI could ship a an AR with a free floated barrrel, bump stock and binary trigger, and they would still be overpriced.

  25. Yeti screwed up BIG TIME…they’ve turned into a meme on fakebook. Here is where I miss RF. HE’D get to bottom of this quickly. Is jwtaylor still part of TTAG?

    • Yeah man, I’ve been posting pretty solidly on this. NRA is lying out their ass on this one.

      • I find The lack of reading comprehension skills here are truly disturbing. How can people not see the NRA got caught lying through their teeth on this one????

      • I don’t know if you’ll SEE this but I meant as a writer. Not a mere commenter. I stand with the NRA…after Newtown they saved my rights.

  26. sounds to me like Yeti’s corporate communications people failed in doing their job. They are now trying to get ahead of the curve and they are losing.

  29. Conveniently cancels affiliation after REI threatens to drop their products. Then claims that it’s the NRA’s fault for telling everyone.

  30. Here we go again, a bunch of sheep blindly following the first report, believing it like gospel – pathetic! I have no stake in either as I don’t own a Yeti and am not an NRA member, but the vitriol is pathetic. And those destroying their Yetis? More sheep and just plain dumb. TTAG needs to get to the bottom of things before blogging about it. Wasn’t it the NRA that recommended a ban on bumpstocks? Ridiculous.

  31. I’ll still stick to RTIC. Just as good and half the price.
    FWIW, they are based out of Houston, TX.

    • Keeps my coffee, which i brew at home, hot for hours. Best mug i ever had and well worth the $25. Stays in my truck, nobody sees it but my wife, but I love the damn mug.
      Ran over my half-gallon Yeti whatever-they-call-it with my tractor and it still keeps water cold as hell for hours, even with a big dent in the side. I like that.

  34. Austin, TX based YETI has succumbed to liberal virtue signaling to appease SJWs who would NEVER buy their products. Bankruptcy in 18 months. Good NEW COKE move.

  35. The NRA isn’t going to tell me what kind of damn cooler to buy. Love my Yeti shit and will buy more because IMO it’s superior to Grizzly, Orca, etc., which i also own. You buy what you want to buy for whatever reason and i could give a shit. I can’t keep up with what i’m supposed to buy and where i’m supposed to shop, therefore i will just do WTF I want to.

    • One should stay with what they like.
      Personally I think that folks that are destroying their Yetis are stupid. They are making the same mistake that the anti-gun mafia makes- blaming an inanimate object. If you think that Yeti did the NRA wrong, then never buy another product of theirs’ and only purchase from other companies.
      I will still wait for more information before making any decisions as to who is telling the truth!

  36. They could have done this any other time and the blowback would not have been nearly as bad. Obviously the timing makes it impossible for people to not correlate this with the recent shootings and the fervor they have cause against the NRA.

    Either way, that press release falls on deaf ears and is hardly believable at all in the first place. Their words sound so hollow I only hear it as begging for customers who are at odds with their own personal beliefs to continue buying their products.

    It’s okay, I’ll stick with RTIC instead anyway. They are half the cost and every bit as good anyway. Plus they’re still Texan (and I’ll take a Houstonian over an Austinite).

  37. Looks to me like everyone is confusing Marion Hammer with the NRA itself, although the NRA did disseminate Hammer’s statement.

  40. Well, I just happen to be in the market for a cooler. I was thinking about a Yeti before all of this.

    I think I’ll go with the Orca. Made in Tennessee.

  41. Seeing that Yeti is sold at nearly every where guns are sold : Rural King , Sports Mans stores , Bridgeport , Cabelas , Bass Pro , Dicks , Field and Stream , Gander Mountain , Walmart , etc. , I find it absolutely insane to think they would do something so CRAZY , but we are living in an UPSIDE DOWN world and CRAZY is the norm , so I find myself just laughing again .

  42. Well if this is true that sucks for Yeti. Not sure why the NRA would say that about them. Someone screwed up, anyway. Whether yeti or NRA.

    Seeing as how I never had any intention of buying a yeti anything this doesn’t really affect me. So I’ll just be over here lamenting the asinine state of affairs in politics these days.

  44. I just got a flyer in the mail from Cabela’s advertising Yeti coolers. Looks like I’ll be buying my coolers at some place other than Cabela’s.

  45. After continued research into the Yeti/NRA issue, I am really bothered by the anti NRA position of TTAG and using this space to push it in favor of friends regardless of facts (meaning all the facts, not just those you chose to talk about). Talking down to commentators in a passive aggressive tone just like the anti gun crowd does really grates on me. I used to visit long and completely, I will now blow through and glance at what is now seems just good buddy site. I know I don’t matter, many have been here longer than me.

    • Ned,
      I too find the pandering to high school classmates while talking down to readers of the site childish and, well, stupid. JWT speaks as if his is the only opinion that matters (much like Davis Hogg). And in response to his “binder has been here longer” comment that he meant to “prove” binder’s comments were more valuable or correct than others, I posted the above comment about Yeti sucking and the NRA’s awesomeness to prove that this sites comment login system allows anyone to post as anyone else. Wouldn’t be surprised if half or more of the pro-Yeti comments on this thread are all from JWT.

      • Maybe true (doubtful), but not mine. I’m no Yeti apologist, I just really like their stuff and admire their skills at marketing. You pay more because of their marketing, but, hey, they’re very good at it, they created a lifestyle brand, not easy to do. BUT none of that would matter if I didn’t think their product was superior, which I do. Everything but the Rambler, my black Grizzly rambler does better than my Yeti. But the coffee mug, by far the best I’ve ever used.
        I just am sorta over all this boycotting stuff from all sides. it all smacks of “hey, let’s form a club! Yeah! I’m in!” from a ’50s nerd flick. Dick’s sucks because they’re Dicks, that’s reason enough.

  46. “YETI severed ties with the NRA and is now engaging in damage control after a backlash from many of its customers. In early March, YETI refused to place a previously negotiated order from NRA-ILA, citing “recent events” as the reason – a clear reference to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. YETI then delivered notice to the NRA Foundation that it was terminating a 7-year agreement and demanded that the NRA remove the YETI name and logo from all NRA digital assets, as well as refrain from using any YETI trademarks in future print material. While YETI is trying to spin the story otherwise, those are the facts. While Yeti can choose to run from the NRA, they can’t run from the facts.” – NRA’s clarification of the situation

  47. Will someone please ask Yeti for a copy of the letter they sent “cancelling’ the old discount program? Or are they telling us they did this orally?

    My question is, when did a major business make an announcement like that to an equally large (or larger) company over the telephone? So if they sent the NRA-ILA a letter cancelling the old program, show us a copy of the letter and settle this issue once and for all.

    Or did they actually call the NRA-ILA. Tell the NRA-ILA over the telephone, they would no longer work with so if things blew up – like they did – then Yeti (and their Yankee investment company – Cortec) could claim that the NRA-ILA simply misunderstood their message.

  48. Looking at what appear to be mutually exclusive discreptions/ explaination of the same series of events by Yeti and the NRA, it appears, putting it politely, that someone is
    factually confused. Who is telling the truth, I wonder. By the way, as a result of long association with the NRA, some of whose past actions or antics have left me wondering, I’m fairly familiar with that organization. As to Yeti, never heard of them prior to this dustup.

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