No room for racism.
Campaign Development, Creative Direction
CONGSTAR X FC ST. PAULI
GRABARZ XCT
Isabel Gabor (Copy/Concept)
Created with FC St. Pauli and congstar during the International Weeks Against Racism, the campaign used football culture as a visible public statement against racism. What started as a proactive idea, not a client brief, developed into a campaign across matchday, social media, merchandise, and public space.
Challenge
There was no predefined campaign framework. The idea came from identifying the right cultural moment, a club with a clear attitude, and a sponsor willing to stand behind it. The challenge was to create a statement that felt direct and visible without turning it into brand activism theater.
Approach
The campaign centered around a single intervention: the matchday jersey. “Rassismus” crossed out with a red bar. “Kein Platz für” placed above it. Built to work from the stands, across photography, and throughout social media without requiring further explanation.
The campaign extended beyond visibility. For several weeks, congstar and FC St. Pauli gave parts of their social channels to people affected by racism and to anti-racism experts. The focus was not the brand voice, but creating space for other voices to be heard. The same principle shaped the collaboration with illustrator Joséphine Sagna, who brought her own visual language into the campaign.
My Role
Concept development, campaign design, jersey design, and creative direction across physical and digital touchpoints. Shooting supervision including preparation and post-production. Collaboration with internal teams, FC St. Pauli, congstar, and external creative partners.
Impact
The campaign generated more than 8 million impressions and over 200 posts and stories. More than 40 affected people and ambassadors were given a platform, while donations exceeded €14,000. The jersey resonated strongly with fans and was later released as an official product. The visual language and claim continued to be used by the club for several years after the initial campaign.
