Naisten Linja
The Banned Collection
When EU platform policies classified domestic violence prevention messages as "political content," thousands of nonprofits across Europe were effectively banned from advertising on Meta and Microsoft platforms. Naisten Linja, Finland's national helpline for women facing violence, found itself censored from reaching the very people who needed its services most.
The solution? If the platforms wouldn't let us advertise the message, we'd sell it instead, printed on streetwear that could be promoted through the same commerce loopholes that banned the original message.
Starting point
In 2025, new EU regulations led Meta and Microsoft to classify domestic violence prevention content as "political"—the same category as election campaigns and advocacy. For Naisten Linja and thousands of European nonprofits, this meant a sudden ban from paid advertising on platforms where vulnerable people actively search for help.
The challenge was urgent: How do you reach people in crisis when the platforms they use have classified your lifesaving message as too political to advertise?
Traditional workarounds (appealing decisions, policy lobbying) were slow and uncertain. Naisten Linja needed an immediate solution that could both restore their voice and expose the absurdity of platform policies that prioritize commerce over human safety.
Approach
Our insight came from observing a critical contradiction in platform content moderation: the same message banned as advertising could be freely promoted when formatted as product promotion.
Platforms that censored "For Women. Against violence." as political content had no issue advertising t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags with identical text printed on them. The loophole was clear – and we exploited it.
We launched The Banned Collection: streetwear merchandise featuring the exact messages Meta and Microsoft had censored, promoted through the very platforms that banned them. Each piece became both a wearable protest and a functional awareness tool, turning fashion commerce into a Trojan horse for domestic violence prevention.
The campaign strategy was defiant and fashion-forward—treating platform censorship not as an obstacle but as creative fuel. The banned messages became desirable streetwear, and the absurdity of the situation became the story itself.
Impact
From a €330 media investment, the campaign generated:
- €629,000 in earned media value (1,908:1 Earned media ROI)
- 5.5–7.2 million total impressions (110–144% of Finland's population)
- Coverage across Finland's major outlets: Yle, Helsingin Sanomat, Ilta-Sanomat, plus international advertising trade press
- Organic cultural adoption: Documentary director Kati Laukkanen wore the collection to Finland's Venla Gala
Beyond metrics, the campaign sparked genuine policy conversation about platform censorship affecting nonprofits EU-wide, while achieving Naisten Linja's core mission: getting their message to people who need it.
Awards
Collaborators
Awards
