Review of Stella McCartney ‘Healing Power of Horses’ 2023 Ad Campaign
Stella McCartney explores the possibilities of healing and hope within her love of horses in the form of a new activism-focused campaign. The campaign sees the brand team with New Age alternative healing icon Deepak Chopra and his The Chopra Foundation to spotlight and support equestrian therapy.
The primary element of the interconnected initiative is the launch of the world’s most extensive equine-assisted therapy directory, via a soon-to-be launched dedicated website Healingpowerofhorses.com – an educational and storytelling platform featuring Stella McCartney, Deepak Chopra, therapeutic experts, and shared global communities of positive changemakers. The dedicated website will raise funds for The Chopra Foundation and equine therapy centers.
In a statement, the brand shared, “The campaign is guided by Stella’s lifelong love of horses and her observations as a mother, having seen first-hand the impact of the pandemic, technology and current events on the next generation. For example, the number of young people living with depression doubled between 2011 and 2021, with 52.5% of the 17-23 year old reporting their mental health had declined since COVID-19. From her childhood in Scotland through to now, Stella has turned to horses as a source of healing, which is increasingly supported by scientific research.”
Alongside the campaign, the brand is launching a limited run of upcycled, vegan Falabella handbags that feature the words of popular Instagram poet Cleo Wade, with proceeds of the bag going directly to the Chopra Foundation. The campaign also includes a bespoke guided meditation on the Chopra App.
Chopra’s teachings have long been criticized as anti-scientific by the established medical and research community (particularly for claims such as cancer patients being able to cure themselves through positive thinking), as has his entrepreneurial ability to generate incredible amounts of wealth of these teachings – so the partnership and campaign is not without its controversy. It might have been a bit of a risk to expect a large section of costumers to want to give money to his foundation. There’s also validity to the perspective that a partnership with someone peddling pseudoscience works to discredit the scientifically proven benefits of equestrian therapy.
That being said, Chopra also does have a massive following, and there is a certain alignment between Stella McCartney’s vocal veganism and mental health advocacy and the wellness guru’s less out-there beliefs, especially those focused on adolescent mental health. Whether or not the campaign made the right choice in allies and where to direct its activism, it is exciting to see the brand explore ways of putting its values into concrete action.
Stella McCartney Creative Director | Stella McCartney