NETFLIX Builds Pop Up Store for Launch of New Italian Film ‘The Invisible Thread’

For the launch of new Netflix Italy film, ‘The Invisible Thread’, independent creative network DUDE have created a campaign aimed at capturing and bringing to life the essence and main message of the movie. The campaign aims to represent the everyday life of an LGBTQ family, encapsulating all the drama and tenderness of any other kind of family.

‘The Invisible Thread’, which dropped on the streaming platform on Friday is a dramatic comedy about 15-year-old Leone, his two fractured fathers and the meaning of family, in particular the meaning of belonging to a family with same sex parentage.

‘HOM’ is an activational and paid influencer campaign using humour and irony to highlight that the domestic monotony of everyday life is just the same for LGBTQ families as traditional family units with heterosexual parents.  For this, DUDE created a ‘new line’ of fake products with its own visual identity, seemingly dedicated to families with same gender parents all on display at a pop-up store in Milan for the film launch 4-6th March. ‘HOM’ promises to be the first home collection for LGBTQ families boasting a range of products such as chairs, pots and pans, photo frames, rugs and clocks. The irony is that the ‘HOM’ products are totally ordinary products, items which represent domestic family normalcy, no matter what the orientation of the family might be. The products have exactly the same features of other products from other brands, but are presented as products specifically designed for same sex parents and their family needs, as if those were different from the needs of any other family.

A spoof promotional film launched the fake brand on social media. A believable ‘brand style’ film with a typical look and feel of many design videos with epic close ups on the products and a deep voiceover that highlights that LGBTQ families have special needs that finally our collection can fulfil, while giving a sneak peek at the new HOM Collection, without revealing that those objects are anything but authentic.

In the next film released a few days later on social media, the true meaning of the ‘HOM’ Collection is revealed by Filippo Timi, one of the star actors of ‘The Invisible Thread’.  The Italian actor starts to talk through the key features of some products, and all starts to become clear when he explains that, for example, the ‘HOM’ chair works just the same as any other chair. The video ends with a call to action, inviting the audience to discover the whole ‘HOM’ Collection at the pop-up store in Milan. Since ‘HOM’ products are only a representation of a bigger and wider message, all the objects and furniture displayed in the store were not for sale.

The paid influencers Papa Per Scelta, Piottostoche, Fabrizio Colica and La Ghey, with a combined Instagram following of over half a million, were chosen as they are active members of the LGBTQ community. Their brief was to use irony in their vlogs to create awareness of the initiative.

The campaign is supported by Diversity Lab, an association that works to raise awareness about the importance of inclusion relating to communication content and, in this specific case, rights and issues of the LGBTQ community.

A Netflix objective is to support LGBTQ rights, and proudly creates editorial and branded content to keep the discussion open and on point.