From Blacklists to Breakthroughs: Brian Aitken and the Fight for Free Speech in Outdoor Advertising

In the tightly controlled world of digital advertising, hunting and firearms brands have long found themselves boxed out—labeled controversial, deplatformed, or buried under algorithmic red tape. But for Brian Aitken, a seasoned ad exec and lifelong outdoorsman, that wasn’t a barrier. It was a call to action.

Now, as the founder and CEO of Topple, a free speech ad platform built to serve the outdoor industry, Brian is taking aim at the system that sidelined the very brands that fuel America’s outdoor traditions. In this episode of the LandTrust Podcast, Brian sits down with LandTrust founder Nic De Castro to talk about carving out digital real estate for brands that live off the land—and the constitutional freedoms that come with it.

The Outsider on Madison Avenue

Brian didn’t set out to become the face of free market digital advertising. In fact, his early career reads like a highlight reel from the mainstream media world—running digital ad campaigns for E-Trade, Ferrari, and building ad divisions at global PR giants like Ketchum and Edelman.

But as someone who deeply valued free speech and Second Amendment rights, he quickly realized something was off. Major platforms like Google and Meta were quietly—and sometimes not so quietly—blacklisting entire categories of content and companies. Not just the shady corners of the internet, but credible conservative publishers and brands that made everything from bows to bolt-action rifles.

“You start to realize that the blacklist becomes your client list,” Brian recalls. “These weren’t bad actors. They were brands with real audiences, real products, and zero digital access.”

What Is Topple?

Put simply: Topple is Google Ads for everyone else—especially those in the hunting, shooting sports, and Second Amendment (2A) spaces.

The platform connects outdoor brands with curated publishers in a transparent, performance-focused environment where the only rule is legality—not politics. And unlike the Big Tech platforms that leave you spinning in automated support hell, Topple offers real human guidance on campaign setup, performance optimization, and retargeting.

“We work with everyone from Beretta to ammunition brands to hunting gear makers. For many of them, this is their first real shot at digital advertising.”

With Topple, brands finally have a tool that lets them run ads on websites their audience actually reads—without being flagged, banned, or shadowbanned into oblivion.

Censorship by Algorithm

Brian and Nic shared battle stories from their time in ad tech—when the definition of “unsafe” content ballooned from porn and violence to… conservative news sites and bowhunting forums. Nic even recounted a recent attempt to sell his old bow on Facebook Marketplace—rejected because it “violated community standards.”

This is the environment that birthed Topple: a growing blacklist of publishers and products deemed unfit for digital advertising—not for their legality, but their ideology.

“These are law-abiding companies that pay taxes and sell legal products,” Brian says. “But they’ve been silenced—unable to use tools every other business takes for granted.”

The Economics of Digital Discrimination

The restrictions haven’t just been annoying. They’ve stunted entire industries. The 2A and hunting spaces often get labeled “too small to matter,” but that’s a distortion caused by access—not demand.

“This industry is smaller than it should be,” Nic argues. “When you cut off capital, restrict access to advertising, and pull payment processing, of course it looks small. It’s been artificially choked off.”

Brian agrees. From denied PR contracts to being shut out of banking relationships with institutions like Silicon Valley Bank, Topple’s journey has been a case study in ideological gatekeeping—and the resilience required to push through it.

Rebuilding Trust with Transparency

Beyond simply providing access, Topple is reshaping what ethical advertising looks like. Many of the brands in this space had been burned before—paying for campaigns that delivered no results and zero transparency.

Topple changed that with their Ad Zone Quality Score, a system that measures whether ads are actually seen, engaged with, and leading to conversions. Publishers are now being held accountable for visibility, not just volume.

“We refunded advertisers when impressions didn’t meet our standards. That’s not just ethical—it’s smart business. If our brands win, we win.”

A Marketplace with Principles

Despite being pitched as a “right-wing ad platform,” Topple doesn’t operate with a political litmus test. It’s built on one principle: legal speech deserves a platform. If the Biden campaign wants to run ads, they can. If Kamala Harris wants to test creative on Topple’s network, she’s welcome to.

This isn’t about ideology—it’s about access.

And that’s exactly why some investors, PR firms, and platforms still refuse to work with them.

“We had a PR firm turn us down because we support free speech,” Brian shares. “It would be funny if it weren’t so absurd.”

From Forums to Flight Plans

Like many in this industry, Brian’s outdoor journey started in the backcountry. His first company at age 17 helped fund his ice climbing trips. These days, he’s spending hundreds of hours chasing black bears in Montana, tagging along on international hunts with Topple’s brand partners, and flying bush planes with his kids in tow.

His story isn’t just about advertising. It’s about access, autonomy, and the American ideal that legal businesses should be free to grow—without begging Big Tech for permission.

Looking Ahead: Back to Basics

Despite the headlines and tech cycles, Brian believes the future of firearms and hunting marketing is surprisingly simple:

• Stop self-censoring: Customers want the real deal, not a generic lifestyle ad.
  
• Focus on brand awareness: Performance ads only work if people already know who you are.
  
• Educate the market: Both advertisers and publishers need support in maturing their digital strategy.
  
• Measure what matters: Impressions are great—but conversions are king.

In Brian’s words, “Just provide value, focus on the basics, and treat your partners with respect.”

Want to Advertise in the Outdoors Without Getting Canceled?

Topple is helping outdoor brands scale in a world that often tells them they don’t belong. Whether you sell firearms, broadheads, tree stands, or tactical apparel, there’s finally a platform built for you—not against you.

Learn more at wearetopple.com

‍

‍