In the first months of the pandemic, due to the closing of their stores, G-Star RAW had to cope with the new normal. But the art & culture sector was hit much harder, with a complete shutdown. There was a lot of press coverage of how difficult things were for the cultural sector. They could not perform at all.

G-Star RAW has been a long-time sponsor of art and culture and decided to join forces with the Dutch National Ballet. Most people were still figuring out the new social distancing regulations, so we presented: the Safe Distance Ballet. The campaign centred around a tutu with a 3-metre diameter that allowed the ballet dancer to still perform at a safe 1.5-metre distance, showcasing the resilience and creativity we need so much in these times. We had the objective to offer inspiration at a time where negative items dominated the news.

G-Star RAW and tThe Dutch National Ballet present: the Safe Distance Ballet. A custom-designed raw denim tutu with a 3-metre diameter that allowed the ballet dancers to keep on dancing at a safe 1.5 metres apart.

We collaborated with the famous choreographer Remi Wo¨rtmeyer and

the talented dancers Kira Hilli and Manu Kumar. They performed a one-of-a-kind choreography that captured the challenges of social distancing. Guided by the music of well-known DJ Joris Voorn and the strings of the Ballet’s orchestra. The show was broadcast on G-Star RAW’s Instagram channel and the Dutch National Ballet website. Making it possible for arts and culture fans to still enjoy the ballet in these difficult times.

The shutdown of the cultural sector and the struggles with the new social distancing regulations were big news. We believed that a message of resilience and creativity would be even bigger news. We tapped into this new normal by creating a way for the ballet dancers to still perform. We generated attention for the harsh times at the National Ballet, but at the same time we offered a message of hope that so many people longed for.

For weeks G-Star RAW designed a custom tutu with a 3-metre diameter so the dancers of the Dutch National Ballet could still perform at a safe distance.

It took another few weeks to create a one-of-a-kind choreography capturing the challenges of social distancing. And another few weeks to practice bringing the performance to perfection.

The performance was broadcast on G-Star RAW’s Instagram channel and the Dutch National Ballet website. A making of and after video were also created for social. We also used the ballet dancers’ and DJ Joris Voorn’s Instagram channels to reach even more people. The Safe Distance Ballet quickly became world news.

After the launch, the Safe Distance Ballet quickly traveled the globe. Especially in our key markets, the Netherlands and Germany. Over 100 news articles were published, creating a total reach of +280 million. Among some of the major news outlets were: CNN, BBC, The Times, The Telegraph, & The Guardian. But also many fashion magazines like Vogue & Marie-Claire.

Because all partners (dancers, choreographer, DJ and orchestra) collaborated free of charge, we spent only €25K achieving a total earned media value of €1.5 million! Positive social sentiment was +98%. With the Safe Distance Ballet we wanted people to still enjoy arts, it was never the aim to raise donations for the Dutch National Ballet but a lot of people showed their support with a total of €10K during the campaign period. The performance video broadcast on G-Star RAW’s Instagram channel had an organic reach of 1.6M with 1M completed views.