How to establish a brand that stands for sustainability
02/12/2016
Background
Swedish menswear brand Uniforms for the Dedicated wanted to establish their credentials as a brand
that stood for sustainability and social responsibility by setting the standards for the rest of the Swedish
fashion industry.
The task was to influence brands and consumers by taking a practical stand for sustainability.
Idea
The insight was that for every new piece of clothing people buy, there will be an item they will never
wear again. The idea, then, was that whenever a Swedish consumer bought a new garment, he/she could
donate something old at the same time. The mechanic that made this possible was the humble shopping
bag. By turning it inside out, the rag bag turned into a pre-paid envelope that allowed shoppers to make
a donation easily. All they had to do was remove the strip, seal the package and post it to the charity of
their choice, UNICEF or Save the Children.
Naturally, the bag was biodegradable.
Results
“I don’t have the exact number of returns, but we have sold out of bags”, said DDB Stockholm CEO David Sandstrom.
From the website, www.theragbag.se, other companies have ordered 600,000 bags to use.
The campaign won Gold at the Swedish Guldägget Awards, Silver at EPICA, Wood and Graphite pencils
at D&AD and was shortlisted at Cannes.
Comment
Loads of marketers talk about having conversation with their customers but they don’t mean anything of
the sort. They like talking at people and are often baffled when they talk back.
Agency: DDB Stockholm
Client: Uniforms for the Dedicated
Country: Sweden