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AWI’S marketing arm The Woolmark Company has launched a new global consumer campaign – Live & Breathe – the first in recent years.
The campaign aims to educate a young generation of consumers, about the technical performance benefits of Australian Merino wool and drive the purchase of wool apparel and footwear products, through brand partners in the performance, athleisure and streetwear categories.
The activewear market is the fastest growing sector of the $1.7 trillion global textile business.
The Woolmark Company’s investment in the sports and outdoor market seeks to build demand pressure in this consumer segment and put Australian Merino wool front of mind.
The overarching message of the campaign is that wool is breathable, making it the perfect fibre for performance and athleisure.
According to a 2017 Nielsen Report, ‘breathable’ and ‘comfort’ are the most important attributes people look for when buying sportswear – and science shows that wool is the one of the most breathable fibres.
Focusing on breathability allows the campaign to talk about a number of wool’s key benefits in the performance category, such as temperature regulation, odour resistance and its moisture-wicking nature.
However, secondary messages are also layered into the campaign, such as choosing quality over quantity (reinforcing the Woolmark symbol as a mark of quality), and of choosing natural fibres to avoid the adverse environmental effects of synthetics.
AWI CEO Stuart McCullough says in a world dominated by synthetic fibres, it can be easy for millennials – the world’s largest consumer group, by volume – to lose sight of the wonders of Mother Nature.
“Wool, once the fibre of choice for athletes worldwide, was overthrown by the rise of man-made fibres, but in recent years we have seen the re-emergence of Merino wool in the activewear industry,” Mr McCullough said.
“The fibre’s inherent performance properties and eco-credentials have seen the fibre become prominent once again and is reaching a new generation of consumers.”
The campaign is built around the strategic stages of consumer awareness, education, consideration, and validation to provide a path to purchase.
The film (distributed through social media and Woolmark.com) and the out-of-home campaign (billboards, bus shelter advertising etc) serve as two hero aspects of the campaign, whilst events, e-commerce extensions and collaborative partnerships will help to drive home the message in an impactful way.
“The campaign features a carefully curated selection of some of the most technically advanced and innovative wool and woolrich garments commercially available on the market today,” Mr McCullough said.
A layered influencer campaign of some of the world’s leading fitness stars will help “validate wool in activewear” and connect product to consumers in an approachable, authentic way.
Custom e-commerce landing pages will provide a path to purchase at amazon.com in the USA and farfetch.com globally.
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