The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions and to make matters worse an increasing amount of clothing that gets worn less and less. And sometimes not at all.

Since 2002 the average usage of an item of clothing has decreased by more than 85% according to data from Euromonitor. And studies have shown that 33% feel that a piece of clothing is “old” after having worn it just three times.

Scandinavian fashion brand Samsøe Samsøe wanted to make sure that the clothing they produce actually gets worn. If not by the original owner then by making it as seamless as possible to resell the item to someone who is going to make it an active part of their wardrobe. The ambition being to position Samsøe Samsøe as a leader in sustainable innovations within the fashion industry.

An integrated re-sell campaign.

“The Resell Tag” is a unique scannable code in each piece of clothing that will activate a series of digital actions, automatically creating a sales ad for the item and promoting it across Facebook and Instagram.

Each item comes with a micro media budget attached, that allows for a hyper-targeted campaign that promotes the item on Facebook and Instagram to help create interest and find a new home for the item.

The Resell Tag is designed to activate a series of data points that is assigned to each tag and make the reselling of the particular item as quick and painless as possible. Ensuring that clothes don’t wind up in the back of the closet, but instead, extend the life cycle of each and every item and make sure it gets worn.

Our primary target audience were young professionals living in urban areas. As a secondary focus, the brand wanted to increase consideration amongst a younger target group for whom sustainability is high on the agenda.

With The Resell Tag we wanted to take a different approach.

Instead of talking about sustainable production, we wanted to address a larger (and often overlooked) underlying problem.

Fact of the matter is that no matter how sustainable clothing production becomes it will always leave a footprint. The real problem is that when clothes are only worn a few times and end up in the back of your closet the environmental impact becomes even more of an issue.

Through The Resell Tag initiative, Samsøe Samsøe is addressing this issue by making their clothes the most re-sellable clothing on the market. And lowering the "work" of reselling through a frictionless tool built into the product.

The idea required two elements to be successfully implemented.

First, a label in the clothing with a unique scannable code.

Second, a digital platform from where the owner could activate their resell listing.

Sounds simple but it required heavy integration with different digital tools and platforms to ensure a truly seamless experience.

The initiative went live with a limited number of items from the current collection that worked as proof of concept. Currently, more products are being added to the initiative and more collections are set to follow.

The Resell Tag was promoted via the front windows of Samsøe Samsøe stores. The goal being to attract the heavy shoppers who are experiencing the "back-of-the-closet-syndrome" the most.

Through digital consumers are targeted - giving them a new and more sustainable option when shopping for clothes. Plus a seamless way to pass it on to a new owner.

Results are still coming in since most haven’t grown tired of their newly acquired clothes.

The response from both customers and the media has been very strong:

- The fastest-selling collection in the history of the brand.

- No items in the Resell Collection had to be discounted (on average 17% of a collection will end up being sold with an average discount of 25%).

- Media coverage estimated at +1.000.000 USD (Meltwater).

- The Resell Tag will now be featured in two collections a year.

- Achieving a ROMI of 16.95

Furthermore, The Resell Tag has been an effective way for the brand to communicate their sustainability strategy and get attention to the other initiatives they are undertaking to become more environmentally conscious (lowering carbon footprint, emission reduction, material strategy, product durability etc.)

The Scandinavian countries are known for having some of the most ambitious climate goals in the world.

The Danish Government recently launched a national program, with the ambition to be a green frontrunner in global climate actions while encouraging the rest of the world to follow.

This ambition originates from the people, who for several years have pushed the country in a more climate-friendly direction that requires both actions and laws. Despite being in the middle of an energy crisis and with inflation on the rise, climate was still a top priority for voters in the election 2022 – especially among the younger generations.