Swedish Sports Brand Gives U.S. a Discount Until We Have Universal Healthcare

Until the U.S. has universal healthcare, a Swedish sportswear brand plans to offer Americans universal health wear.

Craft is in this for the long haul. A dedicated line of hoodies, shorts and T-shirts is available to Americans with a 10.7 percent discount—the amount Swedes pay out of their income to cover healthcare for all citizens.

Tackling a hot button topic is a crafty way for Craft to increase its brand recognition stateside, but the initiative originated from a serious, personal place. 

Tommy Rivs, an elite American runner sponsored by Craft, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma in 2020, and a GoFundMe was created to help his family cover the cost of expensive medical bills. Craft created a Team Rivs Collection with all proceeds going towards the cost of treatment.

“Why is this happening? Why can’t they afford healthcare? We have free healthcare. The notion of not having free healthcare was a bit weird to us,” says Bjorn Stahl, executive creative director at INGO Stockholm, the agency behind the campaign.

A 70-second video, running on social media, explains the undertaking.

“Dear United States of America. You are the richest nation in the world. But we noticed that you are one of a few developed nations without universal healthcare … Exercise is proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and a lot of other stuff, too. Or for you, it might reduce the risk of astronomical medical bills.”

The campaign ran heavily in Boston leading up to the Boston Marathon this month, with outdoor ads and a full-page print ad in the Boston Globe.

“We want to showcase the brand as a conscious, serious brand within the training category,” Stahl tells Muse. “The brand wants to do the right thing. Take responsibility for their actions. When it comes to sustainability, Craft makes conscious decisions about it. We’re not making big, expensive ads. It goes against the brand.”

CREDITS

INGO:
Senior Art Director: Max Hultberg
Senior Copywriter: Magnus Ivansson
Project Manager: Ylva Jacobsson
Planner: Markus Söderberg
Tech Director: Stefan Kindgren
Final art: Alexander Lundvall
CCO: Björn Ståhl
Global Chief Communications Officer: David Ford

Craft:
Product & Marketing Director: Daniel Högling 
Marketing Manager, International: Niklas Moberg
CEO, Craft Sportswear NA: Eric Schenker
Marketing Director, Craft Sportswear NA: Jon Howard
Creative Manager: Niklas Ericsson