The Marriage Unblocked campaign kicked off alongside the FIFA World Cup, calling out countries which still don’t allow same-sex unions – including the host, Russia.
For those of us who are hazy on what blockchain actually is, the notion that you can use it to get married might just add to the confusion. The Harvard Business Review defined the decentralised technology as “an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way”.
Many more of us, and not just sports aficionados, will know what Björn Borg is – the legendary Swedish tennis champion famous for his ice-cold demeanour and extraordinary wins on the court during the Seventies. The five-time (consecutive) Wimbledon champion and six-time French Open winner was the subject of a 2017 film starring Sverrir Gudnason with Shia LaBeouf as on-court rival John McEnroe.
Since retirement, Borg has gone into the underwear and clothing business, creating a successful brand that oozes snug chic in bold designs and is second only to Calvin Klein in sales in Sweden.
This spot brings brand and blockchain together to promote the Marriage Unblocked platform, which uses the Borg brand under license. The site says it “makes it possible for everyone to go down the aisle on blockchain, store encrypted vows forever and get a certificate of your digital marriage”.
The first couple to take the Marriage Unblocked plunge were two women from Switzerland, another of the 87% of countries where same-sex marriage is not recognised. Alexandre and Sybille said that though the blockchain marriage would not give them more legal rights, “the feeling of coming closer to acceptance is a huge step forward”.
Marriage Unblocked was planning various social media activities during the World Cup to support its cause.
It’s not the first time the Borg brand has made a political point – check out the 2017 Borg Open, which saw tennis players face off across the U.S./Mexican border.
Do you think the Marriage Unblocked ‘stealth’ approach is great campaigning with benefits to all sides, or would you rather just enjoy the matches without socio-political messages streaking across the pitch?
To have your say on this and other ads, please visit the ADDS site.
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