Why is this work relevant for PR?

POLITIX x Movember needed an especially newsworthy campaign this year to rise above the noise of COVID-19. The Mo-Hair Suit was the battering ram for our PR-led campaign, specifically designed to attract earned media attention and syphon some editorial space away from the pandemic, towards the men's health crisis. Its weirdness (crucial for catching attention) allowed our media partners and ambassadors to educate and spark conversations verbally and through editorial. With POLITIX x Movember's shared audience in mind—plus the suit's universal appeal—we targeted health, men's fashion, art and lifestyle publications, plus broadcast and news media for reach.

Background

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 about their health. Australian menswear label POLITIX believes in helping all men look good, feel good and do good. That's why they partner with Movember each year to help change the face of men's health. But the POLITIX x Movember campaign was in danger of receiving little media attention this year, due to COVID-19 dominating all health discourse in the news and online. They needed a massive PR boost to be heard above the noise of the pandemic. The POLITIX brief was for a new PR-led campaign, to: -Start conversations—via editorial and broadcast media partners—around men's health -Encourage men to talk about their physical and mental health -Demonstrate POLITIX's promise of 'look good, feel good, do good'

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We leaned into POLITIX and Movember's famous brand assets (tailored suits and mo's) to create the Mo-Hair Suit—made from real moustaches. We partnered with artist Pam Kleemann-Passi—who specialises in hair-art and had sadly lost her husband to prostate cancer—to create the world-first fabric using hundreds of moustache clippings from men across Australia. This was tailored into a POLITIX suit, uncannily resembling the brand's most popular design, finished with a Movember logo-shaped moustache-hair pin. Inside, the suit's lining features messages from people whose lives have been touched by men's mental health and suicide, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. This controversial fashion statement was the battering ram of a PR-led campaign, designed to steer journalists away from more articles about COVID-19, towards another serious health crisis—millions of men dying too young. Once it had our audience's attention, POLITIX x Movember could educate their audience through editorial and conversations started by our ambassadors.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Many Australian men won't talk about their health—unless someone else brings it up. What POLITIX x Movember needed to do was kick-start conversations for these 'men of few words' (our audience), by giving them—and journalists—something to talk about. Our strategy used the Mo-Hair Suit's eccentricity to break through the wall of COVID-19 health news. Once we had our audience's attention, we used editorial to educate them and engaged high-profile talent to spark real conversations around men's health. All articles spoke to POLITIX x Movember's key message—Worn to be Heard—alongside a call to action of "Men, we need to talk." We targeted specific TV, radio, print and online media outlets including health, men's fashion, art and lifestyle publications, plus broadcast news media for reach. Alongside film and photography content, we shared tailored press releases linking to the POLITIX x Movember campaign page, housed on POLITIX's website.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We shared the campaign assets and tailored press releases with specific media outlets in October. Art publications and galleries were contacted via Pam, on behalf of POLITIX x Movember, for authenticity in the art world. We negotiated with Today—a popular live breakfast TV show—for the suit's launch, where host Karl Stefanovic modelled the suit and interviewed the artist, Pam, as well as Anthony 'Blue Wiggle' Field about their personal connections to the Movember cause. Pam also spoke passionately about the suit's purpose and design, on behalf of POLITIX and Movember. The POLITIX x Movember campaign ran from 29th October to 30th November. We leveraged the suit's eccentricity to secure global coverage, reaching 26M+ people via TV, radio, print, online editorial and social. Media outlets in the US, UK, France, Mexico, Egypt, India, Russia, Greece, Indonesia—to name a few—were starting conversations around men's health, thanks to the Mo-Hair Suit.

List the results (30% of vote)

Following direct PR outreach from POLITIX x Movember, the 'Worn to be Heard' campaign featured in TV, radio, print, online and social media press in Australia and internationally, including the Today show, ABC Radio National, Men's Health Magazine, NBC LX, DMARGE and more. The Mo-Hair Suit was unveiled on national live TV, modelled by Today host Karl Stefanovic. In this segment he interviewed the artist about the suit's purpose and design, as well as her personal connection to the Movember cause, having lost her husband to prostate cancer. He also interviewed Anthony 'Blue Wiggle' Field, whom we had engaged as an ambassador to share his own journey with mental health. Once we had men's attention, we used editorial to educate, and ambassadors to drive the conversation. We partnered with a raft of high-profile Aussie men—actors, football stars, TV hosts, musicians and influencers—who used their own platforms to help break the stigma of men talking about their health. The Mo-Hair Suit got millions of men talking during Movember, and it will keep doing so. As a world-first oddity and artwork, it has attracted interest from Guinness World Records and several Australian galleries—watch this space. The 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'. -Approx. $2.7M+ in earned media -Approx. 26M+ reach -Engagement rate: 8.65% -POLITIX raised $100K in donations for Movember