Ad of the Day: Woolmark’s oil-filled swimming pool highlights fashion’s environmental harm
Did you know that every 25 minutes, an Olympic-size swimming pool’s 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 mammoth scale.
The ‘Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel’ video spot begins with three people struggling to escape a pool of dark, slimy oil. As the substance washes over their bodies, viewers see them breathing heavily and starting to become panicked.
Then, as they try to help each other out of this dire situation, the camera pans out to show they are surrounded by lush green hills. When they do escape, each slowly takes off their oily attire to unveil garments made from wool, while a breath of fresh air lightens the mood and the group is able to walk freely into the forest.
The metaphors are in-your-face, but it makes the point of using more eco-friendly natural fibers in fashion clearly.
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 that Studio Birthplace also worked on.
“Woolmark was looking for something that really educates, that shows people something new and that, once they’ve seen it, they’re like, ‘wow, I was not aware of that,’” said Jorik Dozy, film director at Studio Birthplace. “Hopefully it wakes people up to the fact that they’re literally wearing oil.”
The work is tailored to film and out-of-home (OOH) activations, with initial media scheduled 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, strategy partner at 20Something, added: “Back in 1980, our wardrobes were filled with natural materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere. These natural materials made up 60% of the market, far outstripping the relatively new polyester and polyamide alternatives.
“The rise of fast fashion, Instagram outfit culture and turbocharged consumerism has seen a wholesale shift in what lurks in our wardrobes. We rarely make a wider ecological connection between clothes, the fibers they’re made of and their impact on the planet. Our ambition for our work with The Woolmark Company is to address that and raise awareness of the alternatives to synthetic fabrics.”
Credits
Production company: Park Village
Creative company: 20Something
Creatives/film directors: Jorik Dozy and Sil Van Der Woerd @ Studio Birthplace
Creative director: Will Thacker
Executive producer: Adam Booth
Creative/copywriter: Elliott Starr
Strategy partner: Fran Docx
Business lead: Anisha Obeng
Account manager: Amy Greasby
Film and stills 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
Wardrobe designer: Lewis Munro
Post-production company: Dead Pixel
Grade: No 8 London
Colorist: Alex Gregory
Audio and music production: Ambit Sound
Photographer: Dirk Rees
Media agency: Craft/PMG
Media planner: Sam Fowler and Alistair Hornsby
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