Gold in Cannes for AIZOME: Our Waste is so Pure, We Turned it into Skincare

“Skincare made from industrial waste sounds absurd. And therein lies the power of this campaign. A provocative notion that ultimately proves how AIZOME is completely unique. Even its waste water is not only harmless, but actually healthy. That is a powerful statement, demonstrated in such an elegant and original way, that it deserves high recognition in this competition." - Julie Rutigliano, creative director at Pereira O'Dell

We are overjoyed to share that AIZOME, in collaboration with the brilliant minds at the agency Serviceplan and Serviceplan Innovations Team, has won a prestigious Golden Lion at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity 2023. This is the highest award in the world of creativity and advertising, and we bagged it in the Sustainable Design category. Can you believe it? This incredible achievement has been the result of a two-year journey, and over the next 12 months, the radical campaign will debut at various global ad and creative festivals from Hamburg to Austin to Tokyo.

Our project, aptly named WASTECARE™, aims to challenge conventions, forcing the questions that no one is talking about: “What harm have we normalized in the process of textile creation and dyeing that the idea of creating skincare from textile waste is so alarming, and why have we accepted toxicity in textile dye, when none of it is necessary?”

WASTECARE™ is a premium skincare product made from wastewater sourced from AIZOME’s textile dyeing factory. Because we only use plants, water, and ultrasound instead of synthetic chemicals in our dyeing process, our wastewater, like our textiles, has natural health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, pain relief, and skin rejuvenation.

By using only plant dyes, unbleached organic cotton, and natural mineral mordants (when necessary), AIZOME is one of the only textile companies in the world that can safely repurpose our wastewater. WASTECARE™ has been thoroughly tested for safety and packaged for use. This serum serves as a testament to our commitment to innovation and sustainability, and others are starting to take notice, from FORBES to various podcasts. We are also in initial talks with a progressive green cosmetic brand. If you happen to know someone in that field, please connect them with AIZOME!

This incredible campaign wouldn't have been possible without the tireless vision, creativity, and hard work of so many. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to: Taro Taniwaki, Naho Kosukegawa Manabe, Kai West Schlosser, Rohil Borole, Shruthi Subramanian, Franz Röppischer, Lorenz Langgartner, Dennis Fritz, Tanvi Phalak, Camille Nizet, Michał Kuśmierz, Margarita Nikolajeva, Gergely Kozma, Ivana Radovanovic.

Serviceplan Group
Mediaplus Group
Art Direction: Han Gao - Workbyworks
Michael Clasen - Kimera
Industrial Design: Ashwin Suresh
Web: ASTRAL Kreativ GmbH
DOP: Jasper Techel
Motion Control: SQUARE FILM GmbH
Practical FX: Effectiv team sfx GmbH
HMU: Marco Hülsebus
Stylist: Lara Packheiser
Photo: off studios GmbH, Ewelina Bialoszewska
Cast: Alex Lei ZHAO, Jasmin Tran
VO: MassiveVoices GmbH
Sound & Music: Jürgen Branz
CGI: Fabio Ziplies
Color: Yash Soni
Packaging Production: Paul+Paul gmbh, DemoDesignModellbau GmbH
Print: Druckerei Vogl GmbH & Co KG, Imad El Rayess