TIAA: The Dre$$ | The Martin Agency

Women lose out on $1.6 million in retirement income, due to the gender wage gap. As a retirement fund, TIAA found that unacceptable.

So we created a powerful, visceral representation of this statistic in a field full of historic inequity: fashion. More than 85% of top fashion school graduates are female but only 14% of top fashion brands are run by women.

We partnered with fashion designer Fe Noel to create an inspiring fashion statement, representing the millions women miss out on. The Dre$$ itself is a one-of-a-kind, couture gown made up of $1.6 million; each bill was individually hand-sewn into the dress.

1x ANDY Awards Gold

2x Art Director’s Club Silver Cubes

1x Effie Awards Silver

1x Effie Awards Bronze

1x Effie Awards Short List

2x Art Director’s Club Short List

3x The One Show Short List

1x Clio Awards Short List

2x Richmond Show Gold

1x Richmond Show Silver

3x AICP Short List

1.3 Billion Impressions in 48 Hours

First, we debuted The Dre$$ on fashion’s biggest stage: opening night of New York Fashion Week.

The Dre$$ was the closing look of Fe’s fashion show - the closer is reserved for the most prestigious piece in the collection - to symbolize closing the retirement income gap.

Following its debut, we installed The Dre$$ in fashion’s capital - NYC’s SoHo - for the remainder of Fashion Week.

We placed OOH throughout New York, directing people to see the dress in person. If people took pictures of The Dre$$, TIAA made a donation to Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization that provides professional attire to women, to support their job-search and interview process.