Here’s why Peta picked House 337 to turn consumers away from wool this winter

The agency has been tasked with creating a winter campaign persuading consumers not to buy clothing made from animal products.

According to the activist group, House 337 was chosen based on previous work it had done to highlight the plight of animals in captivity.

House 337 was created following the merger of Engine Creative and Odd. Next Fifteen acquired Engine earlier this year.

Peta, famous for its provocative use of advertising, hopes to build support among the British public to boycott clothing made from fur, down, wool and leather.

Elisa Allen, director of Peta UK, tells The Drum the group picked the agency based on work it had done for existing client the Born Free Foundation – a campaign dubbed ‘Creature Discomforts’.

“The ‘Creature Discomforts’ campaign evokes a strong sense of empathy for the plight of captive animals,” says Allen. “The clever spot helps humans see that, just like us, animals have personalities, are intelligent, form families and friendships, and suffer when denied their basic freedoms. It’s a brilliant example of the power and reach that creative, timely video productions can have.

Peta hopes to use the agency’s creative nous to cut through received wisdom about animal cruelty, Allen says.

“One of Peta’s digital strategies is to create evocative, emotional and memorable content – and House 337 has a history of doing just that. The partnership provides us with an opportunity to reach new people who may have never considered, for example, that birds’ feathers are often torn from their sensitive skin by the fistful or that snakes may be skinned while still conscious.

“Ultimately, we hope the spot will encourage consumers to realize that what is done to animals in the name of fashion is cruel and unjustifiable – and inspire them to leave animal-derived products on the hanger.”

According to Steve Hawthorne, the time is right to persuade consumers to avoid products such as wool. “If you think being sheared for wool is like getting a haircut, you are sorely mistaken.

“The good news is that there are more fantastic cruelty-free clothing options than ever before. Loads of big brands and famous designers are embracing vegan fashion. So, the answers are out there. We just need to re-educate ourselves about where clothes come from and what we can do to minimize the suffering in our wardrobes.”

According to Allen, the timing of the campaign is designed to capture the minds of the public during the colder months – when they are likely most thinking about buying new wool or down products.

Allen says: “The spot will launch during winter because that’s when UK consumers are most likely to purchase clothing made from animal-derived materials – including fur, down, wool and leather.

“We hope the new campaign will prompt consumers to consider, perhaps for the first time, how cruel and unnecessary it is to wear animals’ skins, wool and feathers and encourage them to reach for humane vegan options instead.“

Engine has already brought on production company BlinkInk and director Will Wightman to help create the campaign.