wear wool, not waste: woolmark campaign depicts zombie invasion of synthetic clothes

wear wool, not waste, a thought-provoking new campaign

Woolmark unveils its latest global brand campaign, Wear Wool, Not Waste, spotlighting the environmental benefits of wool as a natural, renewable, biodegradable and the world’s most recycled apparel fiber. Compiled into a 60-second film, the storyline centers around people rushing to escape a zombie invasion of old synthetic clothes that still haunt our planet to this day. Oozing with apocalyptic undertones, the campaign comes at a time when legislative changes are being introduced to curb the rise in throwaway fashion culture, which has been driven by cheap, synthetic clothing for almost two centuries and is likely to survive in landfills for another 200 years, an uneasy idea around which Woolmark built the film’s creative direction.

all images: video stills, Wear Wool, Not Waste | courtesy Woolmark

woolmark turns synthetic clothes into crazed zombies

The opening shot of the Wear Wool, Not Waste campaign sets the scene in a graying city, with zombie-like synthetic garments emerging onto the streets amid pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation. Panic takes over as the bodiless ‘creatures’ multiply and slam into cars and buses and flood highways uncontrollably, running everywhere and nowhere until they reach a dead-end road, spreading like virulent pollen into a forested landscape. The haunting film by the Woolmark team wraps up with a brighter and more colorful scene, revealing a young woman dressed in a white wool dress, peacefully strolling among a herd of sheep, celebrating the ‘clean’ value of wool as a fabric. 

Wear Wool, Not Waste is the latest campaign by Woolmark

a call for consumer awareness

‘Wear Wool, Not Waste is more than a marketing campaign, it’s an urgent call to citizens and the industry at large to re-evaluate fibre choices. Merino wool is inherently natural and renewable and has the potential to be a transformational solution to fashion’s impact problem. It offers a versatile, biodegradable, recyclable, and long-lasting solution – one that aligns with nature rather than working against it,’ shares John Roberts, Managing Director of Woolmark. 

synthetic clothes turn into zombies amid an urban setting

Through this apocalypse-inspired campaign, Woolmark continues to amplify its Filter by Fabric initiative, which calls on industry to stop using misleading language on product names, instead adopting accurate fabric composition descriptions in product names and introducing fabric filters on e-commerce sites to help shoppers make more informed choices. The Filter by Fabric initiative was launched last year and has garnered thousands of pledges, with commitments from industry bodies including Copenhagen Fashion Week, No More Plastic and the Plastic Soup Foundation, as well as global brands, from Reformation to Benetton. To sign the pledge, visit the initiative website. 

the bodiless creatures multiply and get more crazed

synthetic clothes flooding highways

Wear Wool, Not Waste closes with a shot of a woman wearing wool, celebrating its ‘clean’ value

project info:

name: Wear Wool, Not Waste

campaign by: The Woolmark Company | @thewoolmarkcompany

strategy & campaign creative: 20(Something)

creative campaign production: Park Village
film creative & post oroduction: Studio Birthplace

service production: Silver Lining Pictures
ECD: William Thacker
business director: Anisha James
creative: Cathryn Carey
account manager: Amy Greasby

strategy partner: Fran Docx
directors / creatives: Sil van der Woerd, Jorik Dozy
executive producer: Adam Booth
film & stills producer: Alice Windeler

service producer: Renier Ridgeway

VFX director: Tim Smit

director of photography: Lennert Hillege
photographer: Daniele Colucciello

stylist: Luci Ellis
sound & music: Ambit sound
grade: Alex Gregory @ No.8