Brands do not only provide people with goods, they also create jobs and help people build their careers, either by hiring or by motivating them. In fall 2011, Starbucks launched the Jobs for USA platform to support small businesses and people behind them, and this year Benetton, the recognized leader in sharing positive power across the globe and encouraging people to have a brighter attitude, helps the enemployed youth. The brand, which is associated with youth and freshness, launched a new global campaign dubbed ‘Unemployee Of The Year‘ to support young professionals and amateurs, who don’t have a job at the moment. The new initiative, aimed at drawing the public’s attention to the youth non-employment issue, not only raises awareness of the problem through a variety of promotional elements, but also aims to support young un-employees with a new competition, launched through the brand’s UNHATE Foundation.
Photo: Unemployee Of The Year campaign by Benetton
“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. 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,” commented Alessandro Benetton, Chairman of the Benetton Group.
Benetton wants to change the way the public perceives the young unemployed people and demonstrate that they do have enough creativity and passion to change their own lives and so deserve to be treated in a more respectful way. The brand is calling non-employed people, between the ages of 18 and 30, to submit their projects (mirroring the brand’s social values) to the UNHATE Foundation website from September 18 to October 14 for a chance to get funding—Benetton will support 100 most deserving start-ups with € 5,000 each, helping to turn them into reality.
Photo: Unemployee Of The Year campaign by Benetton
As part of the campaign, launched in over 35 countries, the brand released a series of impressive visuals featuring portrait photos of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) below the age of 30—the prints also feature short professional and personal profiles of these guys from the generation of turbulence and complete economical instability. “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,” says the brand. Benetton also released a film to celebrate today’s youth, which is seeking for a job and recognition of society at the same time.