Politics has helped clothes company American Apparel come from nowhere to be a must-wear brand among young Americans.
The T-shirt and underwear manufacturer claims to be environmentally friendly and against cheap labour. It actively promotes its ”ground-breaking political mission” throughout its advertising.
American Apparel is one of a new wave of youth brands starting to use politics to sell their wares and, according to new research out last week, more advertisers eager to attract younger consumers should be doing the same.
Cause-related marketing, of course, is nothing new: The Body Shop has been successfully selling itself on its ethical stance since the 1970s. What is different now, though, is that while issues such as animal testing or women’s wellbeing relate directly to Body Shop’s business and products, causes now being adopted by brands do not demonstrate any immediate link.
Take Polo Ralph Lauren, running a global campaign to encourage young people to give their time and energy to good causes. It has even introduced Give jeans, donating a proportion of all revenue to volunteering charities.
The fashion brands Phat Farm and Drunknmunky are other examples. The first, launched by the ”godfather” of hip-hop, Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Records, campaigns for economic justice for black people. Drunknmunky promotes itself as a crusader against the homogeneity of mass manufacturing, featuring sub-culture anti-heroes in its advertising.
The trendy London fashion store Griffin has worked with graffiti artist Banksy to hone its subversive credentials as part of its anti-war campaign. He designed a logo for a T-shirt.
For some, it is about boosting brand appeal by making it seem less establishment, more subversive.
Stencils have been distributed featuring cut-outs of logos via websites, shops or magazines, and these are then placed in unexpected public places by more enthusiastic consumers. The tactic was established by activist groups.
More mainstream brands are also getting in on the act, although more subtly. Sony, Diesel and Puma have appropriated the communication tactics of political activists by taking their advertising on to the streets, emulating the look of flyposting in their legitimate ads, and using typography or imagery inspired by graffiti.
Mates, the condom brand, recently ran a campaign around the theme of sexual encounters in public places, and distributed stickers for consumers to leave a physical mark in relevant locations.
Another campaign, for the music downloading site Napster, involved producing posters resembling flyposters for everyday products such as pet foods. The company then defaced the ads with its own logo.
Political advertising is no longer just about selling party politics. And, according to London-based trends analysts Headlight Vision, it is here to stay.
The latest edition of D Code — the company’s ongoing study tracking the attitudes of young consumers worldwide — ”brand activism” is set to grow significantly. Headlight Vision associate director Sandra Griffin says many 18- to 25-year-olds feel disenfranchised by established systems, especially politics, and yearn to be part of ”something bigger”. Brands can bridge the gap.
”A world in turmoil has forced them to re-evaluate their priorities,” she explains. ”It has also raised their awareness of problems they will face in the future, and the importance of establishing strong, meaningful connections with other people.
”There is a desire to be part of something — whether by joining an anti-establishment movement or finding new forms of self-expression to stand out from the crowd.”
Brand owners able to tap into this, Griffin adds, can only stand to gain.
Life’s tough for advertisers today. More and more big brand owners are admitting that traditional advertising no longer works.
Roisin Donnelly, the United Kingdom marketing director of Procter & Gamble, said last week that young people no longer believe in TV advertising, and advocated instead less traditional forms of marketing — such as ambient or street advertising — to get young people talking about P&G products.
Is political activism in advertising the answer? ”It’s playing with fire,” believes Andrew McGuinness, CEO of advertising agency TBWA London, whose clients include FCUK.
”Unless every aspect of your business is true to a particular cause, it could backfire, given how much information consumers have about how a company works, treats its employees or sources its raw materials. You’d also need to beware of polarised opinion — and consumers — on emotive issues like abortion.” Benetton, for one, suffered a consumer backlash after using shocking images — including one of a dying Aids patient — in advertising campaigns throughout the 1990s.
”The clear danger is that people don’t buy it aesthetically, or ideologically. Or that you end up looking like a vicar at a disco.”
‘Causes backfire,” says Jason Brownlee, head of Emap Insight which conducts consumer research. ”Today’s young consumers don’t want to consume things that do people harm. But whether they want to buy things that do good, I’m not sure,” he adds. Activism is serving some brands well, however. Being politically engaged is trendy right now,” says Marian Salzman, executive vice president of ad agency Euro RSCG Worldwide.
Sandra Griffin says imbuing brands with more political meaning will work for some. ”This does not just have to be about linking a brand with a cause or campaign. Youth brands can connect young people and give them a platform for self-expression — something established structures, including the mainstream media, often fail to do.
”As brands take on aspects of activism they can become aspirational and unfashionable,” Griffin says.
”The challenge is how not to look insincere. But get it right and you could create a lot of positive energy around a brand.” — Â