Label Emmaüs destigmatises second-hand gifting with Christmas Backstories campaign

France – As the holiday season approaches, Label Emmaüs, the community centric e-commerce platform of the French Emmaüs movement, has launched Christmas Backstories, a bold campaign to redefine second-hand gifting. In a culture dominated by fast fashion and low-cost products, the initiative seeks to inspire people to embrace meaningful consumption through the power of storytelling. 

Using AI, the campaign creates narratives that reveal the emotional value of second-hand items, transforming them into unique gifts with rich histories. ‘By adopting AI, Emmaüs is training its companions to use tomorrow’s digital tools,’ says Ludovic Chevallier, director of Havas Paris Social, who partnered on the campaign. 

Label Emmaüs’s marketplace now offers more than 2 million second-hand items catering to a growing number of consumers who prioritise sustainability. According to a recent Ifop study, 43% of French people, particularly younger generations, have already embraced second-hand gifting. 

Maud Sarda, co-founder and director of Label Emmaüs, emphasises the social and environmental impact: ‘Buying new, low-cost items en masse is the worst gift. Second-hand items have proven durability and fund projects with ecological and social impact.’ 

Explore our Resale Redux report to understand the surge of the resale market and Gen Z’s desire for sustainable fashion.