Convention: AWC Wants Consumers to Experience American Wool

AWC Wants Consumers to ‘Experience American Wool’

You don’t just wear wool, you experience wool. That’s because the all-natural fiber is luxurious, high-performance and sustainable. These are the points ASI’s American Wool Council is looking to get across to consumers, fashion designers and influencers through a recent social media push.

John Bellina, strategic creative director at BrandJuice – a Denver branding agency – told the Wool Council during the ASI Annual Convention that the push is an effort to reach out to a younger demographic about the benefits of American wool.

“We’ve got to break some myths: that it’s hard to care for, that it’s expensive,” he said. “We want people to realize that they experience wool. People feel confident in wool. They trust wool. But they don’t always know why. Especially with young people, we’ve got to let them know about the benefits of American wool.”

The newest way to experience wool is through the creation of a YouTube page. The page currently hosts three videos produced by BrandJuice in the past year to market American wool.

The videos were shown on multiple occasions during the Annual Convention in New Orleans, and can now be shared from the YouTube page by producers looking to promote American wool and its many benefits.

In The Luxurious Fiber, a narrator explains that the “Fabric designers choose first to achieve pure elegance, absolute luxury and unmatched style” is American wool.

The High Performance Fiber is aimed at more demanding users and offers, “There’s one time-tested, expedition-proven material you can count on. One fabric for four seasons. Experience the confidence of American wool.”

Natural and Sustainable promotes what might be the fiber’s greatest trait. “What this miracle becomes is infinitely remarkable, versatile, beautiful and in the end, sustainable.”

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the videos. Share them with friends, family and clients, and help promote this natural, renewable, sustainable fiber that is perfect for any occasion in any season.

Bellina added that the average consumer, “isn’t interested in wool, but what wool could do for them.”

The videos intentionally show wool being worn in warm climates, to bring home the point that the fiber is versatile enough to be worn in all four seasons.

A new video was filmed shortly after the Annual Convention that features ASI Consultant Roy Kettlewell addressing design school students on the merits of American wool. After all, the only way to get the next generation of consumers to wear wool is to get the next generation of designers to use it in their clothing lines.

The Wool Council also heard an update on military programs from ASI Consultant Mitch Driggers. The U.S. Army is in transition from the Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System to the Cold Temperature Arctic Protection System. The redesign is an effort to reduce bulk, manage moisture and protect soldiers from fire.
Challenges in the process include the prickle factor in base layers, as the Army is shooting for an 85 to 90 percent acceptance rate among soldiers. The mercerization process that has been tested in the United States in recent years might be the answer. Mercerization makes wool feel up to two microns softer and offers added flexibility.

The council also heard details of the new Army dress uniform – a return to the Pink and Greens uniform of the World War II era.  The uniforms will feature heavy doses of American wool. The announcement was welcome news as the U.S. Navy has decided to replace the traditional wool peacoat with a synthetic parka.