United Colors of Benetton launches UNEMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR. A new global communication campaign to support
non-employed youth. United Colors of Benetton, through the UNHATE Foundation, launches an online contest to sustain
100 projects, submitted and selected by young non-employed people all over the globe.
London, 18 September 2012. Today, United Colors of Benetton presents its contribution to the youth non-employment issue, a crucial theme for the future of our planet and to which the brand wants to draw the public’s attention.
The UNEMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR communication campaign, set up under the aegis of the UNHATE Foundation, seeks to challenge clichés about youth non-employment and asserts a belief in the creativity of the world’s youth. Through it, the UNHATE Foundation, whose aim is to promote a culture of non-hate, will support youth to become actors of change against indifference and stigma.
According to its tradition of raising awareness for socially delicate and controversial issues, United Colors of Benetton wants to help change perceptions of non-employed youth. This is in line with the brand’s entrepreneurial, social and ethical values. During the 2011 UNHATE campaign, as many as 500 million people from around the world participated in a broad range of traditional and digital communication activities.
Young non-employed people, between the ages of 18 and 30, are invited to submit outlines of projects to be supported: within the UNHATE Foundation mission, their ideas must lead to concrete social impact in their community. The outlines for projects in different areas (including artistic projects) will be submitted to the UNHATE Foundation website and will be voted by the online community. Their choice of the 100 most deserving projects will receive support from the UNHATE Foundation to turn these projects into reality.
United Colors of Benetton wants to send a positive message of hope to celebrate the ability of young people to find new, intelligent and creative ways of facing the problem of unemployment and finding their own unique solution.
“The new United Colors of Benetton communication campaign presents a realistic portrait of today’s society by actively tackling a current problem, that of youth non-employment and the potential conflict between generations, in order to show it in a new light and create value for the immense human capital of young people”, said Alessandro Benetton, Chairman of the Benetton Group. “We can’t change the world but United Colors of Benetton wants to use its voice to champion young people and celebrate their strength and value”.
The UNEMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR communication campaign is supported by a global set of communication activities that present also a series of portrait photos of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) below the age of 30. The NEETs have been selected worldwide on the basis of profiles that narrated their identity built on study and commitment as well as their interests and passions. These are young people who are seeking their path in life, examples of a generation, the first since the War, which has to fight harder to find a job and build a better future for themselves then their parents.
Formal clothes to face a normal working day: the ironic stigmatization of the campaign featuring them as businesspeople wants to emphasize this new UNHATE generation of modern heroes and celebrate their effort and struggle for a more permanent future. A generation that testifies that being non-employed doesn’t mean being useless, lazy or an anarchist. A generation that is fighting for a less temporary future in a different way. Contrary to common misconceptions about being young and non-employed, their smart, creative and inspiring working experiences do not compromise their dignity.
To support this initiative, United Colors of Benetton will release a film paying homage to today’s youth. The film is an unfiltered portrayal of the everyday life of four young NEETs. We see how they fight to find a job while at the same time fighting for their dignity, against indifference and stigma. Through a partnership with MTV and digital media, United Colors of Benetton will broadcast these ads and call to action, reaching more than 35 countries.
This communication project will run globally, in print and virally, through photographs and videos, using social media and an ironic approach to facilitate the involvement of young people who can help face the global problem of unemployment.