A fibre like no other, Merino wool takes on new spotlight

Australian Wool Innovation has released a new campaign, reminding Australians the world’s best Merino wool is produced in their own native country.

Through droughts, fires and floods Australia’s woolgrowers continue to produce a natural fibre perfect for the demands of modern living.

A fibre like no other, Merino wool is super soft yet strong, natural yet high-performing, and its range of inherent eco-credentials such as renewability and biodegradability affirm its position as a technically advanced environmentally friendly fibre of choice.

Having played a significant role in building modern Australia, the wool industry continues to support tens of thousands of Australians through its global demand.

Australia is the world’s largest supplier of Merino wool, producing 90 per cent of all wool used for fine apparel.

Australian sheep thrive in a diverse range of climates — from the arid interior to the coast, from high rainfall zones to the snow.

It should be no surprise the fibre is therefore uniquely well-placed to be used in extreme performance apparel such as first-responder kits, and soft enough for use in the neonatal units of precious newborns.

The campaign is presented by AWI’s marketing arm The Woolmark Company.

AWI chief executive officer John Roberts said the campaign had two aims.

“We want to shine the light not only on the world’s best fibre, but the tens of thousands of men and women who grow it,” he said.

“Many remote, rural and regional communities continue to be supported by Australian wool-growing, with more than 60,000 Australian woolgrowers and many tens of thousands more working in the industry.

“These are the people who grow your clothes, who grow the best wool in the world.

“We also want to remind Australians to go out and support their industry by choosing Australian Merino wool products.

“The Aussie woolgrower is the unsung hero of the sustainable fashion and sports movement, and we are seeing an increase in demand for Australian Merino wool as brands transition towards more sustainable and circular products.”

Mr Roberts said wool used to dominate the performance sector in the 1950s, but was replaced by cheaper, synthetic alternatives in the 1960s.

“Yet no other fibre — natural or man-made — can mimic all of Merino wool’s innate performance abilities including breathability, thermoregulation and moisture wicking properties,” he said.

AWI’s campaign includes a 30-second advertisement that will be rolled out across free-to-air and digital TV as well as a robust social media campaign to remind the tens of thousands of woolgrowers that their passion and livelihood is an integral part of Australia’s economy.

Australia’s wool industry is a unique, yet one with true global reach.

The story spans paddocks and shearing sheds, laboratories, mountain tops, children’s nurseries, and in moments of greatest need.

It’s a story that is born on the sheep’s back under rain, stars, wind and sun.

It’s the sweat and labour of dedicated woolgrowers, strong shearers, intuitive wool classers and focused scientists.

It’s the story of a product of the finest quality that reaches out across the world.

The advertisement opens with a dramatic shot of the iconic Blue Mountains.

It zooms into a lone rock climber scaling the face of a cliff.

Immediately, there is a connection with wool’s most well-known benefits: warmth, breathability, and technical performance.

Close to the summit a hand helps a rock climber to the top, revealing an Australia woolgrower pulling her to firm ground.

The scene cuts to images of flames.

A close-up reveals a Merino wool base-layer as a volunteer firefighter pulls his jacket on over his shoulders.

Science shows that wool base-layer garments are a proven defence for military and first-responder personnel.

The firefighter and woolgrower hold ground, grasping the huge hose blasting water across frame, facing off with the burning inferno as flames surround them.

Next, the spotlight turns to a cosy, soft, nurturing feeling of wool.

A mother wearing a warm Merino wool cardigan picks up her baby from a cot and wraps her in a soft, breathable blanket handed to her by the woolgrower.

The final scene journeys back to where it all begins — the farm.

A close-up shot of the woolgrower’s kind face, the slightest hint of smile.

He knows he produces the world’s best wool — nature’s original eco-fibre.

Filmed at Cooradigbee in Wee Jasper, New South Wales, this Merino wool-growing property is owned by Helen and Ian Cathles, one of the thousands of wool-growing families who produce the best wool in the world through the care and nurturing of their land and animals.

Some of the homegrown brands featured in the spot include IO Merino, Merino Country, Sportscraft and Pure Baby.

These and more Australian-owned Merino wool brands are available to shop at woolmark.com/shop.