H&M – Conscious Collection (2011)
Swedish clothing company H&M is considered one of the leaders in the global fast fashion scene, so it comes as no surprise that, like other companies in a similar position, it faced growing criticism for its negative environmental footprint with the arrival of the new century. The long-term Conscious Collection campaign, first launched in 2011, thus fulfils two key objectives: firstly, it responds to the criticism, and secondly, it seeks to appeal to new generations of customers who think fundamentally differently about sustainability than their predecessors. As part of this campaign, H&M launches a collection made from sustainable materials every year, seeking to demonstrate that even fast fashion can be conscious. Visually, the campaign draws on the aesthetics of high fashion editorials and haute couture: the spots are dominated by detailed shots of textures, slow-motion images of the production process and natural motifs that contrast with the modern cut of the clothing. Over time, the basic collection has been complemented by the premium Conscious Exclusive line, which relies on short fashion films featuring leading international models such as Giedrė Dukauskaitė and Rianne Van Rompaey for its promotion. H&M clothing is commonly perceived as an affordable alternative, and with these campaigns, the company is trying to show that it can offer something more.
Video: H&M Conscious Exclusive A/W20
Video: H&M Conscious Collection: Conscious Exclusive 2016
UNIQLO – LifeWear (2013)
The Japanese brand Uniqlo has long positioned itself as a counterbalance to trend-oriented fast fashion giants. In its communications, it emphasises functionality, simplicity and innovation – and the LifeWear concept, which dates back to 2013, is essentially the embodiment of this philosophy. According to this concept, clothing is not just a consumer item, but also a technological, cultural and environmental product. The LifeWear advertising campaigns are like short audiovisual essays on simplicity and lifestyle. An iconic example is The Science of LifeWear, which captures everyday reality in several global cities and shows how to live in comfortable yet timeless clothing. The LifeWear spots stand out primarily because they make virtually no use of stylisation – they capture ordinary people in everyday situations and work with the emotionality of natural daylight. The main message is that simplicity can be better, with the campaign emphasising quietness and functionality as a new luxury.
Video: UNIQLO / The Science of LifeWear
Mango – Committed Collection (2017)
The global brand Mango, based in Spain, has gradually worked its way towards the concept of slow fashion. As a global player, it has long been focused primarily on fast fashion, but this began to change during the 2010s in response to criticism of insufficient transparency and unsustainable production. The culmination of this shift was the 2017 Committed collection, which was the brand’s first sustainable collection and moved Mango towards a more responsible form of fast fashion. The accompanying television campaign was created as an audiovisual storytelling project using film-style shots from Iceland. The natural scenery serves as a metaphor for purity and a return to balance. This symbolism is further emphasised by other expressive means, such as slow cuts and ambient music. The campaign deliberately avoided classic fashion clichés and instead built on emotions – silence, space, details of textile structures and the contrast between the human body and the landscape. In this way, Mango emphasised the main message of the campaign, that “every step counts”, while laying the foundation for its future environmental communication.
Video: Mango Committed Fall/Winter 2017 Campaign Video
Everlane – ReNew (2018)
Since its founding in 2010, the American brand Everlane has been based on the concept of radical transparency. In keeping with this spirit, it openly communicates all production costs, the origin of materials and working conditions in its factories. The ReNew collection, launched in 2018, represents the pinnacle of this philosophy to date – a range of jackets and coats made from recycled plastic bottles. The main communication format was an online video spot, which was also used on television. Although it may not be obvious at first glance, it is actually the story of the transformation of a single plastic bottle – we follow its everyday use, disposal and, finally, its transformation into a piece of clothing. The advertisement is visually clean, product-focused, and looks more like a technology spot than a classic fashion advertisement. It emphasises functionality, material, and meaningful design. This is how it supports the brand’s main message: that sustainability can be both stylish and practical. The ReNew collection used more than 3 million recycled plastic bottles in its first year. The advert and the associated website recorded a high level of interaction – users could trace the origin of each piece of clothing and share their personal “clothing footprint”.
Video: Introducing ReNew
Ecoalf – Because There Is No Planet B (2018)
The Spanish fashion brand Ecoalf was founded in 2009 to produce stylish and functional clothing made exclusively from recycled materials. Its founder, Javier Goyeneche, has always viewed the brand’s central motto – Because There Is No Planet B – not only as an advertising slogan, but above all as an activist manifesto. This is how he managed to build a cult brand with a significant social impact. Customers associate the Ecoalf brand not only with the final garments, but also with the entire process – from collecting plastic waste from the oceans to producing the textiles that form the basis of each collection. The 2019 ad embodies this philosophy. It captures the unveiling of a large-format installation by artist Jorge Garaizábal in Madrid’s Plaza de Colón. However, the camera does not only follow the inscription itself, but also the atmosphere of the city in the evening and the flowing crowds – overall, it feels more like a short film than a classic advertisement. This is confirmed by the absence of product marketing. The clothing does not appear in the advert at all, making it clear that the brand is primarily concerned with communication rather than sales. Ecoalf is banking on the power of public space, performance and cultural gestures. Since then, the installation has travelled the world – appearing in Paris, Bangkok, Berlin and Tokyo, for example – and was also presented at the COP25 summit as part of the diplomatic agenda for sustainable development.
Video: ECOALF x Garaizabal “BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLANET B” Installation (2019)
Patagonia – The Stories We Wear (2020)
Patagonia, the US outdoor brand, has been synonymous with environmental responsibility in the fashion world for decades. Patagonia systematically uses recycled materials in the manufacture of its products and has long invested in climate initiatives. However, the brand has gained widespread attention primarily thanks to its unusual stance: it openly encourages customers not to buy new clothes unless it is really necessary. This almost anti-commercial philosophy is most evident in the 2013 Worn Wear programme. Its key principles are clothing repairs, reuse and building a relationship with clothing as a personal story. The advertising spot “The Stories We Wear” eloquently illustrates this idea. It follows several real customers from different parts of the US who share intimate stories about how Patagonia clothing has changed their lives. A mountaineer recalls expeditions on three continents that he completed with a single jacket, while a fisherwoman talks about the many repairs to her favourite fleece sweatshirt. The spot doesn’t have a classic advertising structure or product focus – it feels more like a short documentary. Everything is done in a civil and authentic way: from the visual style to the language to the choice of protagonists. It is precisely this naturalness that reflects the brand’s target group – people for whom clothing has real meaning and lasting value.
Video: The Stories We Wear: The Jacket That Never Quits
Levi’s – Buy Better, Wear Longer (2021)
The American clothing brand Levi’s boasts more than a century of history. On the one hand, this is an honour, but on the other, it is also a challenge – with the arrival of the new century, the company had to solve the dilemma of how to remain relevant to younger generations without denying its traditional values. The answer was sustainability, which was best exemplified by the Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign launched in 2021. The campaign centered on television ads featuring a number of well-known influencers and environmental activists, including Jaden Smith, Emma Chamberlain, Xiye Bastida, Melati Wijsen, Xiuhtezcatl and Marcus Rashford MBE. The campaign was revived in 2022 with a new phase focused on further promoting a sustainable fashion industry and extending the life cycle of products. This included a new short film that traced the life journey of Levi’s 501 jeans across five decades, highlighting their durability and timelessness. Overall, the Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign represents Levi’s commitment to sustainability and its efforts to inspire consumers to take a more responsible approach to fashion.
Video: Levi's Presents | Buy Better, Wear Longer – Baliprod
Video: When they’re made to last, we can all waste less. I Buy Better. Wear Longer. I Levi’s
Stella McCartney – It’s About F*cking Time (2023)
British fashion designer Stella McCartney is one of the best-known pioneers of cruelty-free fashion. She founded her eponymous brand in 2001 and has categorically refused to use leather, fur or feathers since the very beginning. At the same time, she builds on ethical production processes and innovative materials. The 2023 winter campaign is the most striking embodiment of her long-standing philosophy to date. At the heart of the campaign are short manifesto films designed for both television and online platforms. They feature well-known personalities such as actress Eva Mendes, singer Raye and model Paris Jackson. Stella McCartney’s goal is to openly confront the fashion industry with the current environmental crisis and, at the same time, popularise so-called “cruelty-free luxury”. The brand’s presentation thus combines activism with fashion, which sparked widespread public debate when the campaign was launched. The campaign has also become part of a broader movement for the so-called Fashion Act in New York – proposed legislation regulating the environmental and social impacts of fashion houses.
Video: Eva Mendes and Stella McCartney: It’s About F*cking Time
Coach – Have a Wasty Holiday (2023)
The American fashion chain Coach has its own sustainable sub-brand called Coachtopia. It primarily targets young customers, and its main mission is to promote recycled materials, circular design and reducing the ecological footprint. It is no exaggeration to say that one of the biggest opponents of these concepts is the Christmas shopping season – a period when sustainability often takes a back seat to intense consumerism. Coach responds to this fact in its Have a Wasty Holiday campaign, which questions this trend with ironic humour. The campaign is based on a short stop-motion spot featuring actress Lola Tung alongside a character named Wasty – a mascot made from waste materials. The spot is styled as a retro Christmas fairy tale, visually referencing classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It is this combination of appealing aesthetics and critical content that creates an effective counterpoint, which has proven ideal for dissemination on social media. After its release, the celebration of a “wasty” holiday became a viral phenomenon on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram and contributed to a 43% increase in interest in the Coachtopia brand among users under 30. The campaign not only challenges the established relationship between Christmas and mindless shopping but also offers an alternative vision – that gifts can also convey a story of responsibility and thoughtful choices.
Video: Have a Wasty Holiday!
P448 – Invasive Python Collection (2023)
In 2023, the American-Italian footwear brand P448 unveiled a collection of trainers made from the skin of invasive Burmese pythons, which are significantly disrupting the balance of Florida’s Everglades ecosystem. In a rather unconventional way, it drew attention to an environmental problem of a different kind – the uncontrolled population of invasive animal species. The brand expressed its position through a documentary film series dedicated to this topic. The films were internationally successful and were screened at the Coupe D'Or Fashion Film Festival in Chicago and the Berlin Fashion Film Festival, among others. Experts in invasive species population control, with whom P448 also collaborated in sourcing material for the collection, contributed to their creation. In addition to Burmese pythons, the brand also uses the skins of other invasive species, such as lionfish and carp, extending its ecological impact across different biotopes. The Invasive Python collection represents an innovative approach to fashion, combining original design with environmental responsibility. By using problematic materials to produce high-quality footwear, the brand not only creates unique products with a story but also actively contributes to the protection of endangered ecosystems.
Video: Pythons - P448
The examples given suggest that the very core of fashion communication is undergoing a significant transformation. Instead of emphasising seasonal trends and immediate consumption, more and more brands are turning to themes of longevity, responsibility and personal relationships with clothing. In this context, slow fashion is not only a production philosophy, but also a communication framework – quiet, often emotionally charged, based on authenticity and meaning. Inspiration can be found in the diverse ways brands convey these values – through real people’s stories, art installations or the use of hyperbole. The common denominator remains the effort to cultivate a relationship with fashion as something lasting and thoughtful – and not just a fleeting trend.