Millions of men die from preventable causes every year, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide. Too often, because they believe it’s 'weak' or ‘unmanly' to speak up when they know something’s wrong.
Australian menswear label POLITIX believes every man deserves to look good, feel good and do good. That's why they partner with men’s health charity Movember, starting vital conversations with men about their physical and mental health.
But in 2021, POLITIX x Movember’s message was in danger of going unheard in the media—buried by headlines about another global health crisis. This year’s campaign needed a massive PR boost to rise above the noise of the pandemic.
Leaning into POLITIX and Movember's famous brand assets (tailored suits and mo's) we created a fashion statement even 'men of few words' would talk about. The Mo-Hair Suit—made from real moustaches.
We partnered with artist Pam Kleemann-Passi to create a world-first fabric using hundreds of moustache clippings from men across Australia. This was tailored into a two-piece garment by POLITIX, uncannily resembling the brand's flagship suit design.
Inside, the suit's lining features stories and conversation-starters from people whose lives have been touched by men's mental health and suicide, testicular cancer and prostate cancer, making the Mo-Hair Suit truly 'worn to be heard.’
We used the Mo-Hair Suit as a battering ram to break the COVID-19 news cycle, then partnered with high-profile talent to start conversations in the media around men's health.
To launch, we secured an (unpaid) feature on popular Australian breakfast TV show, Today. Controversial host Karl Stefanovic wore the Mo-Hair Suit while interviewing artist Pam Kleemann-Passi about the POLITIX x Movember cause, and Anthony 'Blue Wiggle' Field about his own struggles with depression.
We leveraged the suit's eccentricity to secure articles in men's fashion, art and culture publications, plus broadcast news and lifestyle media for reach. Within days, the Mo-Hair Suit and its message were heard ‘round the world.
Following direct PR outreach from POLITIX x Movember, the campaign featured globally across TV, radio, print, online and social media, including the Today show, ABC Radio National, Men's Health Magazine, NBC LX, DMARGE and more.
Overall campaign sentiment was positive, with all talent and media articles driving further awareness to the POLITIX x Movember cause, increasing positive brand sentiment for POLITIX and their promise of 'look good, feel good, do good'.
The suit featured in its own exhibition at Melbourne Fashion Week, with a fascinating panel discussion on the intersection of men's health and fashion. It even became its own Guinness World Record, for the first suit made of moustache hair.
POLITIX had the suit’s design covered. But we needed someone who could (and would) pioneer a custom fabric using hundreds of moustache clippings, which we had sourced via Sustainable Salons and individual 'mo-nations' from men across Australia.
We partnered with artist Pam Kleemann-Passi, whose work explores the nexus between art and medical science, often expressed through hair as a textile. Kleemann-Passi had sadly lost her husband to prostate cancer, which deepened her passion for the project.
She constructed panels of 'mo-terial' by laying the short, coarse hairs onto black POLITIX cotton, covered with fine black tulle and held in place with a window-pane stitch. These panels were then tailored into a wearable garment by POLITIX, finished with mo-hair buttons and a mo-hair Movember-logo pin.
The result was an elegant (if slightly prickly) POLITIX two-piece, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the brand’s flagship suit design.