The Woolmark Company tells tale of Merino Wool via performance art in a burned-out forest

The Woolmark Company has teamed up with Mother Shanghai to take consumers on a journey with artists behind "Sleep No More" to a forest in Shanghai. The performance art event took place in a burn-out forest, creating an immersive performance theatre stage using the regenerating landscape to to tell its story. 

This comes as the brand wanted to educate people about the story behind Merino Wool and its connection to the nature. Unlike other synthetic fibres, Merino Woll comes from nature and gives back to it. The campaign is part of the brand’s ongoing "Merino Wool, Live with Nature" sustainability initiative, it demonstrates through performance art how Merino Wool, a planet-friendly fibre, can help to lift some of our planet's burden. Woolmark's campaign aims to elevate Merino Wool's position as a 100% natural and eco-friendly fibre, and it is a continuation of the brand's sustainability strategy.

Highlighting the wool’s unique quality of being able to return to the nature and its naturally biodegradable quality, performers are cocooned in 100% natural plant-dyed Merino Wool garments and danced gracefully through nature’s paths. The performers removed the buried Merino Wool garments in the soil, kicking off a month-long experiment in natural biodegradation. The clothing was buried flat, 400mm underground, with 200mm soil on top that will be dug up in a few months. At the finale highlight, the entire lineup disrobes and buries their garments in the soil in unison. Returning wool to nature relieves some of our planet's burden.

Commenting on the campaign, Winson & Wanshi, partners of Mother Shanghai, said, “Just about a year ago, with temperatures abnormally high, about 30 wildfires ravaged through flora and fauna of the Chongqing forests – with around 3,000 acres of land affected. We wanted to make sure this wasn’t forgotten. So to create impact, we teamed up with artists behind ‘Sleep No More’ in Shanghai to devise an immersive performance at a forest once ravaged by wildfires. RETURN is the result of that collaboration.”

A spokesman of Mother Shanghai told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign is part of the brand's ongoing “Merino Wool, Live with Nature” campaign, aiming to show that Merino Wool, a planet-friendly fibre, can lift some burden for the Earth. The channels of the campaign was mostly digital, it was displayed with a mix of local and international digital platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Meta, YouTube and Twitter, to name a few. The spokesman also added that there were not a specific campaign period, the immersive performance theatre stage took place in a recovering landscape during Earth Day, the performance was livestreamed and the footages will be used organically. 

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This was not the first time the brand worked with Mother Shanghai to deliver a creative campaign. As part of the brand’s commitment to environmental initiatives, it debuted the campaign “Merino Wool, Live with Nature” with the creative agency back on Earth Day this year.

The Woolmark Company has unveiled an eco-friendly collaborative art installation, “Nest Starter”, on Laojun Mountain in Yunnan, China, to honour the textile in its raw, unwashed, and pure form. The installation, which doubles as a raw material for bird nests, was created in collaboration with local weavers. Without disturbing nature, the piece invites nesting birds to peck away at the fibre and build a warm nest for their hatchlings.

Apart from campaigns, the brand also pushes its sustainability initiatives via different channels. On its website, various toolkits that comprise latest research and innovation are available for download, such as the suitability toolkit, circularity toolkit, and best practice care toolkit. The brand also has a sustainability starter course for businesses looking to ultilise this material.

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