The Dress for Respect

For Schweppes, the nightlife is the best thing about adulthood. But how can Brazilian women enjoy the night if 86% of them have been harassed in nightclubs? In Brazil, many men approach women at parties by initiating contact without their consent, like pulling their hair, holding their arms, forcing a kiss and other disrespectful ways. And the worst: they don’t see anything wrong in it, saying it’s just flirting. Since Schweppes is always present at clubs and parties, we needed to make a statement against the physical and sexual harassment women suffer at night. And as brand that positions itself as a character building agent, it was important to encourage men to recognize how bad this behavior is and show them more respectful ways to approach women. It was the first time in Brazil that a consumer brand would take the initiative to talk about harassment publically.

To make men see the harassment women face when going out, Schweppes created “Dress for Respect”. It’s a dress made with an ultrasensitive tissue that registers every touch received. 3 different women wore the Dress for Respect to a popular nightclub in São Paulo, Brazil. As they made their way to the bar, the dress sent to a control unit every information in real-time of the unconsented touches (where they happened, the intensity and duration, for example) they received from men who tried to approach – or simply put their hands on them. With the help of 6 hidden cameras and 2 disguised photographers, we could also register what those men said and how they acted close. The whole experience became a video shared by Schweppes’ Facebook page. This time, there was no way men couldn’t see the harassment. And definitely realize that this isn’t flirting.