The Launch or Restart category at The Drum Awards for PR has been won by WongDoody and Both&. Here is the case study that won the award.
Imagine still experiencing a sense of self-awareness, being unable to see oneself in the picture. This is a characteristic of trans people. You need to get out of the house. Work. College. Career. Although you’re saving money for gender-affirming surgery, the delay will take years. Your anxiety may be reduced or you may avoid committing a hate crime if you wear clothing that makes you look good. Pioneering style house Both& produces clothing that is specifically made to create male silhouettes and sizes that exude gender euphoria. Both&’s distinctive transmasc cotton hides curved sides, and their tees are made to flatten chests and enhance shoulders. The majority of trans people are unfamiliar with the company.
Create a novel concept that reimagines contemporary manhood as one of our goals. Establish Both& as the international company for transgender clothing. Aid Both& has been successful in achieving their 25% sales goal for the brand-new fabric series. Introduce the brand mostly to London while avoiding misogynistic attacks in different fashion-forward cities like Paris and New York City. Reach Gen Z as the 15% LGBTQ+ demographic (according to Gallup).
We needed to show that “clothes do make the man” and empower transgender men with a moment of feeling through societal upheaval and community-focused storytelling with just £20,000 in budget.
99% of trans men in the community can’t find clothing that fits; the majority experience daily dysphoria—and they have no idea where to look for clothing, according to TARGET AUDIENCE & STRATEGY Research from Both&. Both& required more development than just word of mouth only. To learn about the company, Gen-Z trans people were required, inspiring trans people at a time in history when they are being persecuted by the entire world, causing them to simultaneously identify with music traditions and discover Both&. The classic Calvin Klein apparel campaigns from the 1990s, when cis male models were first allowed to flaunt their sex appeal, were a nationally recognized fashion moment that we hijacked. By removing barriers to what constitutes manhood and autonomy, Both& can accomplish the same for transgender men, turning them into social icons.
Application & CREATIVITY We insta-scouted trans males and invited them to serve as plan models and community role models. Wearing Both&’s distinctive transmasc fabric that conceals tees and hips that are curvaceous, enhance shoulders, and create smooth chests. The end result was the “Boys Boys Boys” photography campaign, which was filmed in London and was made a safe environment by an entirely LGBTQIA+ cast and crew. A custom-signature music track by trans music producer Baby Brown was used in an associated CK-influenced style film, which also featured praised non-binary style photographer Lydia Garnett, classic trans actor Daniel Sea, and creative direction. We were shouting to the world that it’s normal to be attractive and that there are clothes made only for them with transmen at the forefront of the campaign. We introduced the second in the week before Trans Day of Visibility, using it as a platform for the promotion of trans people and as the brand’s media hook. We cost-effectively fly-postered our pictures on the roads of Fashion Week cities like London, Paris, and New York City, imitating the CK plan. Next, using members of the trans community as leverage, they decided to hype the campaign and amplify it through social media in a way that only an authentic community connection can.
By concentrating on the following: • Destructive physical presence in style cities as a lighthouse for trans people – dialing up inclusion within ostensibly exclusive industry, this helped the brand reach the quietest and most transphobic corners of the world safely. • A secure environment for our LGBTQIA+ cast and crew, who proudly supported the campaign alongside the trans and gay community rather than because of the contract’s fine print. • Queer, pattern, and design press images that engage the community and draw attention. From the trans community’s streets and social media platforms to the websites of international gay press, we developed a story path that led the campaign to Gen Z titles in terms of culture.
Results & EVALUATION The campaign itself produced positive business results, with a 75% increase in denim sales (50% above sales target), which contributed to the 137% increase from Q1 to Q4 in 2022. Additionally, the company achieved an oversubscription in the seed round of investment to advance the Both& and saw a good Lifetime Value/Customer Acquisition Cost ratio of 10x. With only £0 in social spending, the community took the lead in generating quick cultural buzz when it came to promoting the brand. Gen-Z flocked to the banners and shared on social media, naturally generating 1.8 million cultural impressions and 17,000+ engagements in a single year. A scroll through the comments reveals the significance of the campaign: “I’ve watched from the beginning and so proud and happy to see where this brand has grown,” “Joy, togetherness, freedom, and the right to be present – this project is amazing,” and “so proud of being an investor in this amazing brand” to Both&’s financial backers. With a PR reach of 49 million in just five days, we were able to secure high-quality coverage that included all important communication. When it comes to hero articles, Gay Times and Attitude both praised the images as “beautiful” and “absolute fire” when they appeared on the homepages of gay leading titles in the UK. Gen Z internet triumphantly announced, “Transmen take center stage,” along with coverage in GUAP and BRICKS saying we “broke taboos,” with the international enthusiasm brand Hypebae covering and Hunger declaring.
WHY DO YOU THINK THIS AWARD SHOULD BE WON BY YOUR ENTRY? Boys Boys Boys announced Both&’s access onto the international financial stage as the go-to transmasc brand, especially their recognizable denim. Our plan was to recreate the classic CK ads from the 1990s, which gave cis men their first opportunity to flaunt their bodies, in order to redefine current masculinity to include trans men and introduce Both& clothing to the trans community. Our three trans men, who were by no means professional fashion models, serve as the best example of this. You can see how confident they are in themselves, both in terms of how the clothing fits to strengthen masc looks and the way the place was created with their satisfaction in mind. The world is unintentionally made aware of the power of being desirable through clothing that is available and made specifically for them by the confidence that proudly bursts through in campaign imagery and film. In other words, Boys Boys Boys has made it possible for transmasculine, non-binary, and gender nonconforming/expansive communities to feel respected and empowered to shop for clothing that doesn’t just fit but also looks good.
