Chapter 3 — Full chapter
3.1.1 Reflection note — Stella McCartney: one position, different communication formats
Stella McCartney provides an example of how the same sustainability position can be communicated through different formats and levels of detail.
The brand’s 2024 Sustainability Statement provides the formal accountability layer. It presents governance, material impacts, risks and opportunities, environmental and social information, metrics, and reporting scope. Inspired by the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, it gives stakeholders access to the evidence and organisational processes behind the brand’s sustainability position.
Campaign films translate this position into a more emotional and accessible language. Through imagery, creative direction, and brand voice, they connect sustainability with innovation, desirability and the identity of the fashion house.
The Falabella story brings the narrative to product level. The bag is presented through its vegan identity, material innovation, Italian craftsmanship and continued reinvention using materials such as recycled inputs and plant-based alternatives. It makes the brand’s wider position tangible through a recognisable product.
Together, these formats perform different but connected roles: the report supports accountability, the campaign creates meaning and desire, and the product story shows how the position is expressed through design. They do not need to contain the same level of detail, but their claims, scope and overall message must remain consistent.
Thought prompt: How does Stella McCartney adapt its tone, evidence and storytelling across the sustainability report, campaign film and Falabella story? What does each format contribute, and where could simplification create a communication risk?
Sources: Stella McCartney Sustainability Statement 2024, Generation Falabella