When queer lives were treated as disposable, Grindr reclaimed their story through fashion—making identity visible in the most unexpected place: the runway.
In nature, sexuality is not always binary—and neither is exclusion always visible. Around one in twelve rams is gay, yet in traditional farming systems, gay rams are often separated or slaughtered because they do not contribute to reproduction. Rainbow Wool, a sheep farm in Germany, exists to change that reality by rescuing gay rams and giving them a safe place to live freely. At a time when anti-LGBTQ+ narratives are resurging globally, Grindr saw an opportunity to move beyond digital connection and into cultural protection. As the “Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket,” Grindr is not only a platform for meeting—it is a cultural space where identity, visibility, and expression evolve. The question became: how can a dating app help turn invisible lives into visible culture?
If society erases queer visibility in certain spaces, then culture must rebuild it elsewhere. “I WOOL SURVIVE” was born from a simple but powerful idea: transform rescued gay sheep wool into a symbol of pride, survival, and creative expression. Grindr would connect unlikely worlds—a gay sheep farmer in rural Germany, a fashion designer in Los Angeles, and global queer culture—and turn that connection into a runway statement. The idea was to shift allyship from passive support into something tangible, wearable, and visible. The result: a fashion collection that turns survival into style, and biology into identity.
Grindr partnered with Rainbow Wool and designer Michael Schmidt to create the world’s first fashion show made entirely from wool sourced from rescued gay rams. The campaign brought together a gay sheep farm in rural Germany and a global creative network, culminating in a New York runway show featuring 36 bespoke looks. Each piece was crafted from wool of individual rescued rams, turning each garment into a story of survival. The designs referenced historic queer visual codes, symbols once used for safety and secrecy, now reinterpreted and worn openly on the runway. What was once hidden became proudly visible. Grindr acted as the connective layer: linking farmers, designers, creators, and queer communities across continents. The work extended beyond fashion into media, storytelling, and social amplification, ensuring the message travelled as both culture and conversation.
“I WOOL SURVIVE” transformed a niche agricultural reality into a global cultural statement. The campaign generated widespread earned media attention across fashion, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and creative industries, while reinforcing Grindr’s role as a cultural platform—not just a dating app. It positioned queer visibility in an unexpected space—agriculture and fashion—and turned it into a metaphor for resilience and survival. Most importantly, it reframed allyship as something material, creative, and publicly wearable, proving that identity can be both protected and celebrated through culture.
AWARDS
Clio Awards 2026
One Show 2026
CREDITS
Brand: Grindr, Los Angeles. Chief Marketing Officer: Tristan Pineiro. Head of Creative Brand Initiatives: SJ Jenkins. Director of Consumer Content: Benjamin Cooper. Associate Creative Director: Alex Stergious. Senior Social Media Manager: Peyton Miller. Consumer Communications Manager: Alex Sacripante. Social Community Manager: Joey Morales. Creative Agency: Serviceplan Germany, Munich. Global Chief Creative Officer: Alex Schill. Chief Creative Officer: Till Diestel. Managing Director: Andy Wyeth. Senior Copy & Concept: Schakir Islamow. Strategy Director / Project Lead Account Management: Nadia Leytes. Creative Directors: Dennis Fritz, Sebastian Simon. Copy & Concept: Louisa Heuter, Ann-Kathrin Schirpke. Art Direction: Marius Merkel. Senior Motion Designer: Klas Batschkus. Managing Director Account: Liselotte Schwenkert. Managing Partner: Alexander Nagel. Managing Director: Jens Krahe. Creative Operations Manager: Susan Horn. Junior Creative Operations Manager: Alexandra Grimm. Global Head of Creative Operations: Sabine Gwinner. Digital Agency: PLAN.NET Germany, Munich. Managing Director: Jens Krahe. Media Agency: Mediaplus Germany, Munich. Global Chief Creative Officer: Maximilian Florian Schöngen. Social Agency: TACSY by Serviceplan, Cologne. Performance Strategy (Rainbow Wool Social Media): Daniel Hoffmann. Public Relations Agency: People’s Revolution, Los Angeles. Founder & CEO: Kelly Cutrone. PR Manager: Quinn Halmann. Music / Sound Company: Supreme Music, Hamburg. Content Production: JD Content Company, New York. Designer: Michael Schmidt Studios. Designer: Michael Schmidt. Sheep Farm Owner: Michael Stücke. Photography: Steve Marais, Oliver Halfin, Kyla Elaine.
