Did you know that every 25 minutes, an Olympic swimming pool worth of crude oil is used in the production of synthetic clothing? To bring this shocking statistic to life, fashion brand The Woolmark Company has created a dramatic campaign to highlight the issue on a grand scale.
The “Wear Fur, Not Fossil Fuel” video spot begins with three people trying to escape from a dark, slippery pool of oil. As the substance washes over their bodies, viewers see them breathing heavily and beginning to panic.
Then, as they try to help each other out of this dire situation, the camera pans out to show that they are surrounded by green hills. When they escape, they each slowly remove their oiled clothing to reveal clothes made of wool, as a breath of fresh air lightens the mood and the group is able to walk freely in the forest.
The metaphors are in your face, but it makes the point of using natural fibers more environmentally friendly in fashion.
The campaign video was written and produced in collaboration between Park Village, 20Something and Studio Birthplace.
Will Thacker, creative director at 20Something, told The Drum that the campaign came about after the client saw the Wasteminster campaign for Greenpeace, which Studio Birthplace also worked on.
“Woolmark was looking for something that really educates, that shows people something new, and that, after they’ve seen it, they’re like, ‘wow, I wasn’t aware of that,'” said Jorik Dozy, film director at Studio. Birthplace. “Hopefully this will wake people up to the fact that they are wearing oil.”
The work is tailored for film and out-of-home (OOH) activations, with initial media planned in the US, UK, France and Australia this month. An exciting 3D billboard will launch in London’s Piccadilly Circus and New York’s Times Square next week.
Fran Docx, strategic partner at 20Something, added: “In 1980, our clothes were filled with natural materials like cotton, wool and cashmere. These natural materials accounted for 60% of the market, far outstripping the relatively new alternatives of polyester and polyamide.
“The rise of fast fashion, Instagram clothing culture and turbo-charged consumerism has seen a huge shift in what goes into our wardrobes. We rarely make the broader ecological connection between clothes, the fibers they are made from, and their impact on the planet. Our ambition for our work with The Woolmark Company is to address this and raise awareness of alternatives to synthetic fabrics.
LOANS
Production company: Park Village
Creative company: 20Something
Filmmakers/Directors: Jorik Dozy and Sil Van Der Woerd @ Studio Birthplace
Creative Director: Will Thacker
Executive Producer: Adam Booth
Creator/copywriter: Elliott Starr
Strategic partner: Fran Docx
Business manager: Kaçavidë Anisha
Account Manager: Amy Greasby
Film and Photography Producer: Lauren Havard
Service Company: Silver Lining Films
Service Producer: Renier Ridgeway
Director of Photography: Lennert Hillege
VFX Supervisor: Tim Smit
SFX: Max Poolman @ MXFX
3D OOH Design Director: Samuel Guillotel @ 3DSomething
Designers: Rory Stiff and Casey Highfield
Production Designer: Arlene Wentzel
Costume designer: Lewis Munro
Post-production company: Dead Pixel
Class: No. 8 London
Colorist: Alex Gregory
Audio and Music Production: Ambit Sound
Photography: Dirk Rees
Media agency: Craft/PMG
Media Planner: Sam Fowler and Alistair Hornsby
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