WORK FOR GOOD CUT

Rainbow Wool - Schäferei Stücke
Rainbow Wool

Shortlist

Title:	Rainbow Wool
Brand:	Schäferei Stücke
Product/Service:	Rainbow Wool
Client:	Schäferei Stücke
Agency:	SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Production Company:	Peoplegrapher
Editing Company:	Peoplegrapher
Sound Company:	Supreme Music
Release Date:	2024-09-13
Individual Credits:	Alex Schill, Chief Creative Officer, SERVICEPLAN GROUP
Individual Credits:	Till Diestel, Chief Creative Officer Germany, SERVICEPLAN GROUP
Individual Credits:	Andy Wyeth, Managing Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Anna Lee Sønnichsen, Managing Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Nadia Leytes, Strategy Director / Project Lead Account Management, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Sebastian Simon, Creative Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Schakir Islamow, Senior Copy & Concept , SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Daniel Azar, Senior Art Direction, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Rosario Brancato, Senior Art Direction, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Marius Merkel, Art Direction, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Ann-Kathrin Schirpke, Copy & Concept, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Louisa Heuter, Copy & Concept, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Isabella Capodieci, Senior Account Management, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Lilli Schmitz, Account Management, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Emilio Valverde, Executive Creative Director, SERVICEPLAN SPAIN
Individual Credits:	Dennis Fritz, Creative Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Margarita Nikolajeva, Junior Motion Designer, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Klas Batschkus, Senior Editor, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Michal Kuśmierz, Motion Designer, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Individual Credits:	Camille Nizet, Art Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY
Notes for Judging:	BACKGROUND Michael Stücke, the owner of Schäferei Stücke in northwestern Germany, faces unique challenges. Falling wool prices, escalating costs, and stringent regulations have rendered sheep farming increasingly unprofitable. Once a cornerstone of rural life, wool is now so undervalued that much of it is discarded. Furthermore, farming is often perceived as outdated and conservative. As an openly gay farmer and member of the Gay Farmers Association, Michael encounters additional prejudice, both as a farmer and within the LGBTQ+ community. Queer rights remain a critical global issue, yet progress is increasingly hindered by rising discrimination. In Germany, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals have surged by 36%, and in 62 countries, same-sex relationships are still outlawed, with 12 imposing the death penalty. While society often stigmatizes these relationships, same-sex behaviour is observed in over 1,500 species. Berlin Zoo’s gay pelican pair, who successfully raised an abandoned chick, exemplifies this natural phenomenon, underscoring that same-sex love is inherent to life. This natural diversity extends even to sheep, as Michael revealed: sheep, like humans, can be gay. However, non-breeding sheep are typically slaughtered, an ethical and economic issue that inspired us to act. Recognizing the opportunity to challenge societal prejudices and create meaningful change, we set out to establish a new revenue stream for Sheep Farm Stücke while advocating for gay sheep and supporting the broader LGBTQ+ community. CREATIVE IDEA Rainbow Wool – the first gay textile thread for queer rights worldwide. Using wool from gay rams, a fashion collection was launched with German queer icon Bill Kaulitz. Creating a new revenue stream for the farm, saving gay rams from the slaughterhouse, and supporting LGBTQ+ causes: as all profits fund global queer rights charities. By embedding queer rights into every thread, Rainbow Wool provided a sustainable revenue stream and a powerful platform for queer advocacy. EXECUTION Gay rams were sourced, purchased, and relocated to Sheep Farm Stücke, a safe space where they can live, love, and grow their wool. This wool is transformed into high-quality thread, crafted into unique fashion pieces, and promoted through social media, fashion magazines, OOH campaigns, and activations across Germany. To launch the initiative, we invited press and influencers to the farm to meet the sheep and experience the story firsthand. The event was headlined by one of Germany’s most iconic celebrities – queer icon and Tokio Hotel frontman Bill Kaulitz – who lent his voice to amplify our message and activate his highly engaged audience. We extended the campaign to Cologne’s famous gay district, on Schaafenstrasse (aptly translating to "sheep street"). Partnering with local shops and bars, we introduced a creative sponsorship program where each establishment adopted and promoted a different gay sheep in their storefront windows. At the heart of Schaafenstrasse, we installed a giant interactive mural on the front of a building, which not only highlighted the project but also launched the world’s first gay animal sponsorship program, capturing the public’s imagination and sparking meaningful conversations. The project caught the attention of Grazia, one of Europe’s leading fashion magazines, which offered us a coveted front cover and a five-page feature. To elevate the fashion element, renowned designers Kilian Kerner and Danny Reinke created a bespoke haute couture jumpsuit for Bill Kaulitz, who modelled it on the farm among the sheep. Bill embraced the project passionately, reflecting his advocacy for equality and the LGBTQ+ community. His audience – comprising liberal-minded, animal-loving supporters of queer rights – proved to be the perfect fit for this initiative, helping to bridge the worlds of fashion, activism, and sustainability while driving the message of acceptance and inclusion further than ever before. RESULTS Rainbow Wool became an instant sensation, achieving 1.3B impressions and €20M in earned media. Its unique story of saving gay sheep for queer rights reached 33 countries, including places where being gay is illegal, like Russia and Uganda. The campaign dominated TV, podcasts, radio, fashion publications and social media, generating €3.5M in influencer-earned media, 1.1M social engagements and 1.3M web visits—all from just €20K in paid media. The project is projected to generate €1.6M in revenue by Q3 2025 through thread sales and 21,200 products across 25 SKUs, retailing at an average of €68.50. Starting with 125kg of raw wool valued at €2.5K, we increased its value to €151.5K and sold out for 2024, achieving an ROI of 1,212%. Thanks to branded Pride collabs, thread production is pre-sold for the next 5 years, creating a sustainable revenue stream for Michael for years to come. Fun fact: Rainbow Wool has inspired a meme coin, a Roblox game, and will feature on a Netflix reality show in 2025.
Additional Credits:	Tanvi Phalak, Art Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Rohil Borole, Art Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Kai West Schlosser, Art Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Shruthi Subramanian, Copywriter, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Javier Granados, Copywriter, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Lorenz Langgartner, Executive Creative Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Franz Röppischer, Executive Creative Director, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Sabine Gwinner, Global Head of Creative Operations, SERVICEPLAN GROUP / Alexandra Grimm, Junior Creative Operations Manager, SERVICEPLAN GROUP / Susan Horn, Creative Operations Manager, SERVICEPLAN GROUP / Birgit Koch, Lead Corporate Communications, SERVICEPLAN GROUP / Alexander Nagel, Managing Partner, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Melanie Dienmann, Print Production, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Stefan Kriznjak, Print Production, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Regina Calix, Postproduction Producer, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Katharina Nützel, Editing, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Martin Bierbaum, Editing, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Jan-Michel Magens, Editing, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Stefanie Fritzel, Motion Design, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Michael Diepold, Motion Design, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY /Jennifer Schulz, Motion Design, SERVICEPLAN GERMANY / Lukas Tielke, Director, Peoplegrapher / Alexander Norek, Creative Director & Director Production, Peoplegrapher / Steve Marais, Photographer, Freelance / Kyla Elaine, Photographer, Freelance / Jack Gregory Donald, Executive Producer, Peoplegrapher / Sina Lübke, Producer, Peoplegrapher / Rosa Bartels Production Manager & Post Producer, Peoplegrapher / Rebekka Zehner, Unit Manager, Peoplegrapher / Caio Salles Ackermann, Production Assistant, Peoplegrapher / Niklas Lemburg, DOP & Grading, Peoplegrapher / Stefan Schneiker, B-Unit DOP, Peoplegrapher / Clemens Florack, Assistant Camera, Peoplegrapher / Darius Buesch, Assistant Camera, Peoplegrapher / Hilarius Riese, Digi Op, Peoplegrapher / Yannick Frotz, Gaffer, Peoplegrapher / Lars Elliger, Gaffer, Peoplegrapher / Christopher Rüttger, Gaffer, Peoplegrapher / Theo Weingarten, Gaffer, Peoplegrapher / Daria Somesan, Sound, Peoplegrapher / Daniel Morres, BTS, Peoplegrapher / Marcel Alves, Editor, Peoplegrapher / Justus Heinser, Online Artist, Peoplegrapher / Jacob Fletcher, AI Artist, Peoplegrapher / Fabio Ziplies, CGI Artist, Freelance / Juan Christmann, Creative Director Copy, Freelance / Kilian Kerner, Designer / Danny Reinke, Designer / Bill Kaulitz, Talent / Natalie Franz, Make Up / Patrick Gorra, Hair / Ingo Nahrwold, Creative Director / Chris Schrut, Developer, IDEAL ALPHA / Andre Wagemann, Managing Director, IDEAL ALPHA / Alina Helbig, Customer Success Manager, PLAN.NET GROUP / Liz Hageman, Project Management, PLAN.NET GROUP /Jonah Stefanovic, Frontend & Design, PLAN.NET GROUP /Frank Richter, Tech Lead, PLAN.NET GROUP / Bastian Falldorf, Product Owner, PLAN.NET GROUP / Sven Holldorf, Unit Director, PLAN.NET GROUP / Lukas Miggo, Unit Director, PLAN.NET GROUP / Markus Merkwirth-Timm, Partner Manager, Maxcluster GmbHJan Ahlers, Partner Manager, Maxcluster GmbHKim Zeyen, UX und Visual Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Janette Gerryts, Creative Lead, PLAN.NET GROUP / Erma Franca, UX und Visual Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Thuy-Duyen Lea Lam, Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Angelina Stramka, Account Management Digital, PLAN.NET GROUP / Mona Wilms, UX und Visual Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Jenny Phaka, UX, Visual Design, QA-Audit , PLAN.NET GROUP / Rebekka Fleischer, UX und Visual Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Esther van Ammel, Visual Design, PLAN.NET GROUP / Daniel Hoffmann, Performance Strategy, TACSY /Sarah Sponsheimer, Paid Social, TACSY /Lennart Schinke, Social Content Production, TACSY / Joana Tsesmelès, Social Strategy, TACSY / Rieke Nedderhoff, Influencer Management, TACSY / Jana Gerlach, Channel & Community Management, TACSY / Maximilian Florian Schöngen, Chief Creative Officer, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Sabrina Duchow, Director Creative Media & Awards, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Daniela Ibler, Manager Creative Media & Awards, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Fabian Steiner, Senior Media Consultant & Creative Media Manager, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Lukas Pachoinig, Senior Client Consultant & Director Creative Media, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Sarah Wilson, Digital Media Manager & Designer, MEDIAPLUS GROUP / Andreas Schanzenbach, Creative Director & Co-Founder, CONCRETE CANDY GmbH / Martin Schmidt, OOH Senior Producer, CONCRETE CANDY GmbH / Philipp Brückner, OOH Senior Producer, CONCRETE CANDY GmbH / Eric Fischer, Managing Director, CONCRETE CANDY GmbH / Shirzad Faramarzi, Head of Production SOOH, CONCRETE CANDY GmbH / Larissa Kyrion, Project Management, Elastique. / Andreas Schimmelpfennig, Creative Direction, Elastique. / Ármin Ludl, Concept & Art Direction, Elastique. / Bennet Meyer, Motion Design, Elastique. / Verònica Fuerte, Founder & Creative Directress, Hey Studio / Clàudia Laporte, Project Manager, Hey Studio / Marina Nafría, Designer, Hey Studio / Laia Ferran, Motion Designer, Hey Studio / Ioannnis Mihailidis, Creative Coding, Studio Farbraum / Michael Stücke, Farm, Schäferei Stücke / Jochen Klinge, Farm, Schäferei Stücke / Imanuel Scheiko, Artist / Mark Krayenhoff van de Leur, Designer / Annoula Petrides, Styling / Kita Liema, Hair & Make Up / Emily Metzger, Art Dept / Renato Lopes, Consultant, ALL AWARDS / Juan Christmann, Consultant, ALL AWARDS