Barkin , a new hand-made bag brand out of Dubai, has launched a campaign in partnership with Think Human Creative .
Five silhouettes of bags – each shaped by the personality of a dog currently sitting in a shelter in the UAE, waiting for someone to walk in.
The bags are made in collaboration with local maison artists and independent leather craftspeople working across the region, in ateliers where nothing is mass produced and a single piece takes days rather than minutes.
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The characters came from somewhere else entirely. The Barkin team spent time in local shelters, sat with the dogs nobody has claimed yet, and took notes.
Five bags. Five real personalities. Thousands more still waiting.
“We did not design a bag and then look for a cause. We went to the shelters, met the dogs, and built the collection around who they actually are. Every silhouette in this collection has a real dog behind it, and that dog is still waiting,” said Tiago Bastos, Head of Creative, ThinkHuman.
But here’s the catch: They are not for sale; not yet. There is no price, no drop, no checkout. Barkin is not selling anything today.
What exists is a waitlist, and a small number of hand-made pieces that will find their way to the people on it. Consumers can join the waitlist at barkin.live .
When the collection does go on sale, every piece sold will go toward keeping local shelters running: food, vet bills, medication, and the everyday care that adoption alone does not cover.
Although Barkin’s Instagram account went live only days ago with no paid media behind it. It has already crossed 2,000 followers and 80,000 views, and it is climbing fast.
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Creative agency: Think Human Creative CEO: Ahmed El Sherbini Head of Creative: Tiago Bastos Creative Director: Kartic Aiyar Client Partnership Director: Anastasia Younes Media Director: Rahul Datta Art Director: Tiago Bastos, Allan Khoury Copywriter: Kartic Aiyar
Edit / Post: Talal Dakkak, Ahmed Sharaky