ABOUT

There is a real and live debate around masculinity and what it means to be a man today. Most brands vying for the attention of millennial men compete by promising an answer. Our research revealed that what men were really concerned with was whether they’d achieve their goals. A precarious job market, a fraught economy, inequality and more meant that most men felt their visions were out of reach. This revealed a unique role for H&M because clothes had power. We came to see that H&M didn’t simply sell clothes, we sold confidence and could be a unique ally on this journey. As an unemployment crisis began to emerge, we launched an initiative with acts, not words. Struck by research that showed job applicants’ competency is judged within one second of meeting an employer, we came up with the ONE/SECOND/SUIT. The initiative helps tackle this bias by making sure the potential inside isn’t overlooked because of what’s on the outside. When we look good, we feel good. That’s why anyone with an upcoming job interview could hire an H&M Man suit, completely free, for 24 hours. The programme ran in the UK and US. We designed all the collateral around the suit. The label inside the jacket, creating a striking logo which cleverly folded the label to represent the number one. The suit bag packaging, a unique pocket square and a fully integrated ATL campaign to launch the initiative including a moving film directed by Mark Romanek exploring an important moment we all face at least once in our lives - a job interview - and the easing pep talk only a mother can give as well as in-store activation, online, social, DOOH, OOH & flyposters. Early results were incredible – all the suits were fully subscribed within 24 hours of launch in both the UK and US. The initiative reached over 26 million through earned media and was featured across numerous global titles including primetime TV news, radio, online, social and inspired opinion pieces in the likes of The Guardian. The project featured in outlets such as Fox News, Forbes, The Daily Mail, Good Morning America, Hypebeast and LADBible.