Zalando breaks the patterns of style promoting in newest marketing campaign
Zalando is the main partner of Helsinki Pride in 2021 and continues to generate local LGBTQ + influencers as part of the campaign
As part of Zalandos Campaign, the Finnish Pride pioneers are wearing the kind of outfits they have long dreamed of – even when it was so free to dress so freely. The Dresscode: Freedom campaign is a thank you letter written with joy and style to the forerunners of the LGBTQ + initiative as it highlights the stories of the pioneers who serve as the faces of the campaign. The brand’s campaign was designed and implemented by the Helsinki-based creative agency SEK.
Dress code: Freedom puts Finland’s LGBTQ + pioneers and activists in the spotlight. The pioneers who serve as the faces of this campaign dress in outfits that they wanted to wear decades ago, but couldn’t because of the prevailing intolerance – or the fear of being labeled as insane or criminals. Zalando is the main partner of Helsinki Pride in 2021 and continues to generate local LGBTQ + influencers as part of the campaign.
“Diversity is a hot topic in advertising, and for good reason. It is great to use this campaign to help people see more diversity in terms of both sexual minorities and age groups and bring it to our urban landscapes. We still see too few people of all ages represented in advertising – especially when it comes to fashion, ”says Annu Terho, Creative Director at SEK and responsible for planning the campaign.
This year, the Pride celebrations mark a multitude of milestones in Finland. Homosexuality was removed from the Finnish Penal Code 50 years ago and removed from the country’s disease classification 40 years ago. It’s also 30 years since the Helsinki Seta LGBTQ + advocate group and Pride community were founded, and 10 years since transvestism and sexual fetishism were removed from the list of classified diseases.
“It wasn’t long ago that a woman who wore trousers instead of a skirt or dress was considered inappropriate. When a man wore a dress on the cover of Vogue last year it sparked a lot of controversy. Such things are the reason why it is so important to create campaigns that highlight certain freedoms, such as the right of every individual to dress as they want, as fundamental human rights, ”comments Heli Roiha, Creative Director of SEK.
With the Dresscode: Freedom campaign, Zalando would like to thank and bring forth Finnish pioneers who, with their commitment and work, have paved the way for the rights of sexual minorities today. Lars Svarström, Tiina Lindfors, Axu Saha and Juha Laurikainen bring their wonderful styles and stories to the spotlight with this campaign. These human rights activists have pioneered more tolerance and equality for decades – and continue to do so.
The multichannel campaign will have a strong presence on social media, on OOH billboards across the city and on the big screens in central Helsinki. The advertising campaign is supported by a number of influencer collaborations that also add a new level to campaign history by combining the LGBTQ + influencers of the modern age with the pioneers of the campaign.
Dress code: Freedom was designed and implemented by the creative agency SEK. Simelius simelius, an image director duo, was responsible for the video and photo production of the campaign, while the influencer collaborations were coordinated by the Miltton agency.
