How a non-profit fought the social media giants, armed with a bunch of t-shirts

Creative idea

EU's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation classified domestic violence prevention as 'political advertising,' banning Naisten Linja ads from Meta and Microsoft platforms. Instead of fighting the algorithm, we exploited it. The same platforms that banned our message allowed promoting political products. We printed the banned messages on clothes and promoted them through the platforms' own commerce infrastructure. The merch became the ad. Twelve influencers seeded it. The rest was organic: threads posts, press pickup, and a documentary director choosing to wear the dress on live television.

Brand name: Naisten Linja
Advertiser / client: Naisten Linja
Product / service: Naisten Linja helpline
Campaign name: The Banned Collection
Agency network: INDEPENDENT AGENCY
Agency: hasan & partners, Helsinki
Agency chief executive officer: Riku Vassinen
Chief creative officer: Riku Vassinen
Creative director: Ossi Honkanen
Art director: Antti Kaarto
Designer: Anssi Arte
Music: Epidemic Sound