To launch the Gen Z focused Kangol x H&M collaboration on a global scale, we wanted to create something that this audience could truly make their own. We were briefed to come up with a campaign that would give this audience of creators ownership over the content, inspiring them to interpret the collection in their own unique way. In order to connect with the most connected audience ever, we needed to reach them through one of their favorite channels, but in an innovative and unexpected way.

Working with popstar Mabel, we hacked Instagram Stories filters to create a first-of-its-kind music video for the Gen Z audience. This set of filters taps into everything that this audience loves about filters — looking beautiful, playing fun games, showing off dance moves and expressing themselves — while taking the format to a whole new level. When a user posts the six #KangolxHM filters in a row, they combine to create a music video for Mabel’s song “Bad Behaviour” that appears in their own story.

With Mabel and her crew dressed in the Kangol x H&M collection, this allowed for the brand to showcase their new line in an authentic and innovative way, while also creating a shareability factor that reached this picky audience directly.

The Gen Z audience is the most connected generation ever, and they create as they breathe. They are the self-made generation, and live in a digital world that they literally make themselves.

In order to connect with our audience, we created the tools to let them make their own campaign – and picked their favorite channel as the homebase. We wanted to use Instagram in a progressive way and looked to AR filters. They have become a much loved self-expression tool for this generation, so we decided to hack this format and mix it with music – the other favorite way to express oneself for Gen Z.

In collaboration with artist Mabel, we created an interactive music video via a series of filters. When the six #KangolxHM filters were published in a row, they combined to create a music video for Mabel's song "Bad Behavior".

Mabel started the snowball by creating her own music video using the filters, followed by her gang and other creators around the world before being joined by the masses. To conclude the campaign, H&M posted a long-form UGC music video in their IG Stories featuring Mabel, influencers, fans and followers.

The campaign launched globally on September 3rd 2020, on both Mabel and H&M’s Instagram accounts and ran for two weeks.

The campaign was also supported by:

- In-store promotions at select H&M stores in global markets

- Digital OOH that ran in global markets

- Online films that ran across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

We saw an incredible reaction to the campaign, helping solidify H&M as a leading brand for the Gen Z target audience. The collection sold out and the campaign results surpassed all internal benchmarks.

The results include:

- The filters were used 14M+ times

- 1.3M+ music videos were created

- 792M+ total reach

- 547M+ reach from earned media

- 61M+ reach from organic channels

- Global press coverage including: Vogue, Elle, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Marie Claire and many more.

- Among those who bought the collection, 17% were new H&M customers