Zalando has come out in support of activists who were attacked while protesting, teaming up with Polish fashion brand MISBHV, and NGO Campaign Against Homophobia to empower the voices of Poland’s
LGBTQIA+ community.
Strategy
70% of the Polish LGBT+ community has been victims of homophobic attacks. Polish people are unaware of this. To change this, we repaired the real clothes damaged during such attacks. They became new symbols of hope and pride and also a medium that told stories heard by 19 million people.
Zalando has supported the LGBT+ community in various markets for many years. This year the client decided to start communicating to this group also in Poland. The task for the agency was to develop a concept that would present the Zalando brand as a brand not only communicating to this community, but also understanding its specific Polish needs and giving empowerment.
In recent days, the situation of the LGBTQIA+ community in Poland has been constantly deteriorating. LGBTQIA+ activists were arrested and charged after hanging the rainbow flag on Warsaw monuments, opposition lawmakers wore multicolor clothing and masks in a protest in Parliament. At the same time, we observe increased police aggression against those taking part in protests to support the arrested activists. The protests take place in the largest cities across Poland. During the recently ended presidential campaign in Poland, Andrzej Duda who won this election said "LGBT is not people - it's ideology".
Creative
The campaign “Clothes Reborn with Pride” empowers the voice of the LGBTQIA+ community which is persecuted in Poland and reflects the dangers they face on a regular basis all over the Country. Their poignant experiences were reflected in the clothes they wore when they were attacked because of their sexual orientation. By repairing these clothes and giving them a second life, we wanted to give courage to our heroes and to open the door to greater acceptance for the entire LGBTQIA+ community in Poland.
In addition to dedicating clothes to the LGBTQIA+ community in Poland, the Zalando brand has decided to support it by sponsoring selected programs run by Campaign Against Homophobia.