In Sweden, one out of ten men have paid for sex. A scary number that shows no sign of decline. Anti-prostitution organisation, Talita, took the most common excuses and turned them into a fashion collection, in order to put men’s behaviour in the spotlight, in a campaign by Åkestam Holst NoA.
In Swedish, “playing the victim card” can be directly translated into “wearing the victim cardigan”, an idiom that was literally out to use here, in order to grab the public’s attention. So Talita launched a limited edition of Victim Cardigans in collaboration with fashion brand, HOPE Sthlm. The cardigans were based on the most common excuses used by men arrested for solicitation.
The embroidery on the cardigans also reveals the exposure to violence, drugs, and poverty among the women exploited in the sex industry. The campaign aims to hold sex buyers accountable for their actions and shift the debate towards men’s attitudes and behaviour in general.
“In the campaign’s expression, we have taken inspiration from the fashion world. Still, unlike usual autumn and winter fashion, this trend has a darker backstory,” stated Agnes Nisbel Fjäll, copywriter at Åkestam Holst NoA.
To promote the collection, one of the cardigans was auctioned off for charity to support Talita’s outreach and rehabilitating work.
Credits:
Client: Talita
Founders: Josephine Appelqvist & Anna Sander
Agency: Åkestam Holst NoA
Creative Director: Joakim Khoury
Art Directors: Linus Bronge, Ivan Trip & Shilan Shewki
Copywriters: Agnes Nisbel Fjäll & Daniel Vaccino
Production Manager: Anna Nollendorfs
Planners: Sebastian Stüben & Stina Hansson
Social Media Specialist: Johnny Wettergren
Photographer: Ivan Trip
Cardigans: HOPE Sthlm
Embroidery: Friends Of Handicraft
Film Production Company: BKRY NoA & Gangsters
DOP: Max Thedeby
Editor: Alexander Simmo
Producer: Sanna Wikman
Website: NoA Ignite
Front End developer: Josefine Ljung
Designers: Sara Shahbazi, Johan Lundgren
Head of Operations: Frida Holmström Meinking
Sound Design: Martin Dahl
Colourist: Max Strömberg
Post-production: BT Repro
Print: John Müllersdorf @ Stream Nordic
Retoucher: Johan Cabezos
