WARSAW, POLAND — Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion joined forces with the Polish brand MISBHV and the NGO Campaign Against Homophobia to create clothes with a socially important message. They were made from destroyed clothes that LGBTQIA+ people wore during the attacks. The aim of the campaign “Clothes Reborn with Pride” is to share real stories that prove the scale of homophobia in Poland and to support the Campaign Against Homophobia by sponsoring their legal and psychological support programs.
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.”
The main film published on the social media channels of all partners 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. “Our campaign amplifies their voices reaching a much wider audience,” explains Tomasz Bujok, creative director at 180heartbeats + JUNG v Matt agency. “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 our country. It’s a very brave move for Zalando to take up this topic during these horrible times,” Bujok stresses.
The film triggered a wave of hate speech aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community. Governmental, conservative media, publishing materials related to the campaign, write about “German capital supporting homosexuals 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. They are addressed to victims of violence seeking legal and psychological support. “It is extremely important that widely recognized brands, such as Zalando, engage in social campaigns and speak out about discrimination,” adds Jakub Lendzion from the Campaign Against Homophobia.
The campaign will also include a series of podcasts, in which we will hear the stories directly from the heroes of the main film. The re-designed clothes have returned to their owners. They became the main heroes in a series of photographs by Zuza Krajewska, known from such social projects as Vote Together, #sexedPL, and Surplus.
Credits
Client: Zalando
Campaign: “Clothes Reborn with Pride”
Agency: 180heartbeats + JUNG v. MATT
Production House: F25 Production House
Mikołaj Sadowski, Chief Creative Officer & Partner
Tomasz Bujok, Creative Director
Adrian Zwierzyński, Art Director
Kamil Kuć, Copywriter
Artur Leśniak, Strategy Planner
Magdalena Kozanowska, Managing Director
Radosław Smorga, Business Director
Katarzyna Guzik, Account Executive
Dawid Kaźmierczak, Social Media & PR Director
Magdalena Łukasiuk PR Manager
Hanna Gnatowska, Junior PR Specialist
Director: Mikołaj Sadowski
DOP: Dominik Panasiuk, Igor Połaniewicz
Focus puller: Sebastian Obuchowicz
Grip: Paweł Satala
Sound on set: Maniek Dziedzic
Gaffer: Łukasz Gaweł i Grzegorz Miłej
MUA: Olivia Nowicka
Camera: Panavision i The Out Of Frame
Light: Cinelight
Sound postproduction: Głośno, Darek Podhajski, Ania Bielińska
Producer: Marcin Dworucha, Monika Wagner
Production Manager: Olek Kmiecik
Coordination of production: Anna Oryl
Production Assistant : Małgorzata Szmist
Postproduction: F25 Production House
Editing: Marek Skorupski
Online: Radek Kozera, Jan Obrębowski, Piotr Gaudasiński
