Since talk about Brexit began, one major political matter has been immigration. With several conflicting views many brands would stay clear of including this controversial topic in their marketing communications. Jigsaw however have taken the risk of putting the subject of immigration the heart of their autumn/ Winter campaign “I heart immigration” with the help of agency The Corner.

The campaign celebrates the importance of immigration regarding the fashion industry and the country as a whole. Jigsaw displayed their striking advertising in Oxford Circus tube station and featured on The Times website as well as releasing engaging content through social media, digital and print.

Reading this interested me and made me think about the power of marketing, is it our duty as marketers to tackle these political issues and to stand up for equality in modern day society? Are brands doing too little to spread awareness of issues such as this?

And after a while of thinking about it I concluded that yes, it is our duty to inform and talk openly about these issues. I admire Jigsaw’s bold move to highlight the topic of immigration. The campaign is well thought through and is simple yet effective in delivering the significant message, that “without diversity Jigsaws products couldn’t be made.”

So, what did Jigsaw and Agency The Corner get so right when creating the “I heart immigration” campaign?

In my opinion the campaign differentiated itself by tackling a key topic in the news and it stood out from other advertising through the style being bold and vibrant. The brand’s message was clear and gave a positive message that is relevant in both modern-day society and in the fashion industry. The truthful attitude that Jigsaw approached the topic with, gave credibility and transparency to the fashion retailer whilst also effectively giving an insight into Jigsaw’s brand ethos which is endearing to customers.

The Corner created an all-inclusive feel to the campaign by featuring a range of models from diverse ethnicities, the images have then been clearly overlaid with the tagline “I heart immigration.” As well as visually linking the campaign to cultures and diversity Jigsaw also teamed up with Ancestory.co.uk. who gave their staff a genealogy tests to show the diversity of the fashion industry and celebrate the fact there are 45 different nationalities working within the Jigsaw business.

“Fear, isolation, and intolerance will hold us back. Love, openness, and collaboration will take us forward.”

On social media Jigsaw used the hashtag #Heartimmigration on their social media platforms which is an effective way to spread awareness, with a following of 12.1k on twitter, 72,845 on Facebook and 42k followers on instagram Jigsaw are directly targeting people who are interested about their brand.

Jigsaws campaign states that “British Style is not 100% British. In fact, there’s no such thing as 100% British. Or 100% Dutch, French, American, Asian or European” and I couldn’t agree more. In my opinion this punchy and thought provoking campaign is spot on and as a consumer and keen shopper it has made me think about whether I should take into account where my clothes have been sourced and made, is this an issue that we just ignore? or maybe just overlook?

Author: Ellie Garden