Wool from gay sheep. It’s a thing and it is advocating for acceptance and equality for the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. The idea for Rainbow Wool originated from a personal connection between shepherd, Michael Stücke, and the Serviceplan Cologne team led by creative managing director, Andy Wyeth.
Homosexuality remains a crime in 62 countries worldwide. In 12 countries, the death penalty is still a looming threat. Rainbow Wool funds initiatives that raise awareness for the queer community and supports the fight for legal and social equality.
The Rainbow Wool comes Michael Stücke’s farm in Löhne, North Rhine-Westphalia. Stücke, a member of the Gayfarmer Association, uses it to produce yarn for various creative applications. The yarn is spun from the wool of over 20 gay sheep. While gay rams typically have no “value” in industrial farming and are often slaughtered, they live full lives at Rainbow Wool Farm, providing high-quality wool.
Rainbow Wool is now launching its first collection crafted from this unique wool, with Tokio Hotel singer, Bill Kaulitz leading, the Serviceplan Cologne campaign.
The collection is attracting attention because it is haute couture, but it includes statement pieces such as shoelaces, patches, and caps, allowing anyone to show their support for LGBTQIA+ equality while making a bold fashion statement.
The one-of-a-kind fashion collection is available at rainbow-wool.de, with proceeds going to LSVD+—the Federation Queer Diversity in Germany. The funds will be used to support LGBTQIA+ projects worldwide, especially in queer-hostile countries like Uganda, through initiatives such as Queer Emergency Aid.
The campaign accompanying the collection’s launch will be promoted online, on social media, and through out-of-home advertising. In addition to Bill Kaulitz, around 30 well-known influencers from the queer community in Germany and the UK are supporting the Rainbow Wool initiative on a voluntary basis via Instagram. Notable names include Helge Mark Lodder, Nicolas Puschmann, Carlo Sommer, Kyle Thomas, Joe Baggs, Kizzy Edgell, and Bestly.
Michael Stücke explained, “I had been searching for a way to support the LGBTQIA+ community while also expanding my farm during these challenging economic times. It wasn’t until I connected with Serviceplan that the concrete idea for Rainbow Wool took shape. I was immediately excited about it.”
Andy Wyeth added, “Michael told us that homosexuality is common in animals. That was the creative spark behind Rainbow wool. We’re literally creating a fashion statement—it’s about uniting a community of talented people and using creativity to make the world, and Michael’s world, a little better.”
Stücke’s farm not only produces Rainbow Wool yarn, it also offer sheep sponsorships to save more gay sheep, increase their flock and produce even more yarn. Bill Kaulitz is already on board. His sponsored sheep are named Karl and Wolli.
The Rainbow Wool community is still growing. Its industrial-grade thread made from gay sheep’s wool is suitable for industrial embroidery and clothing production. The brand is actively seeking collaborations with fashion companies and is open to partnerships that want to incorporate this unique wool into their designs.
The campaign around it was created as a project by Serviceplan Group and the House of Communication Cologne. The creative concept and execution of the idea and campaign were handled by Serviceplan Cologne. All campaign content, from interviews to the brand film, was produced in collaboration with creative production partners, Peoplegrapher, Supreme Music, and Serviceplan Make. The Mediaplus Group maanged media planning for the campaign. One highlight was the installation of a large mural in Cologne’s Schaafenstraße, in partnership with Concrete Candy. The mural features Bill Kaulitz and his sponsored sheep, alongside an interactive LED screen promoting the campaign. Shops and bars along Schaafenstraße also supported the campaign by advertising the gay sheep.
Serviceplan Culture provided support for brand collaborations and partnerships. TACSY oversaw influencer and social media communication, while Serviceplan PR & Content handled public relations. The website and e-commerce platform were developed by Plan.Net Köln and hmmh multimediahaus, in collaboration with Ideal Alpha.
