The Swedish sportswear brand devises a blockchain platform that enables same sex couples around the world with ‘Marriage Unblocked’
To combat the fact that same-sex marriages are banned in 87% of world’s nations and to fight for marriage equality and bring to life the brand’s ‘Love For All’ positioning, Björn Borg has enabled any couple anywhere to get married on the blockchain.
This project, developed in harness with agency DDB Nord, Stockholm, saw the sportleisure clothing manufacturer and retailer leverage the fact that a record of events can be preserved on the blockchain without any need for third party approval.
The ‘Marriage Unblocked’ platform enables anyone to propose, exchange vows and get married digitally.
The project is promoted via a video-led social and digital campaign.
The first couple to get married on the platform were Swiss pair Sybille and Alexandra.
“We can now call each other wife and wife. This feels absolutely fantastic!’ the couple said Sybille and Alexandra in a joint statement.
“Our blockchain marriage won’t give us any equal and legal rights yet, but feeling more accepted is a big step forward. We thoroughly hope Marriage Unblocked helps push societies to recognize a basic human right – marriage equality.”
Comment:
At the moment, the blockchain is a bit of click bait for contemporary marketers and it’ll drive plenty of PR partly because of the technology/word alone.
But this campaign is none the worse for that of course.
Blockchain marriage contracts are, of course, not legally binding in any nation.
Nevertheless, with this platform Björn Borg has created a powerful equality utility and symbol.
The idea isn’t entirely dissimilar from Airbnb’s ‘Until We All Belong’ initiative in 2017.
After all, contemporary consumers are seeking brands with purpose and those who forcefully back their values with utilities and projects rather than just adverts.
But is the idea of official blockchain marriages so far-fetched or so far off?
After all, some countries such as Estonia are already using blockchain to grant citizenship via the government’s e-Residency programme.
Björn Borg is building a reputation for challenging and inventive issues based campaigns.
Another of its recent challenger cause campaign was its ‘Tennis Across Borders’ anti-Trump initiative on the US/Mexican border (see case study), while the sportswear businesses’ other recent sports related activations include linking up with AELTC partner Häagen-Dazs for its 2017 Wimbledon campaign (see case study).
Links:
Björn Borg
https://www.youtube.com/user/insideratbjornborg
https://www.instagram.com/bjornborg/
DDB Nord, Stockholm
