The typical perceptions of fur encompass the fashionable aging socialite swathed in brown mink or angry animal rights activists splashing red paint across a fashionista’s expensive new statement piece.

What the International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF) stands for, and is trying to communicate, is a different view of the modern fur trade. The IFTF embraces transparency and honesty in its communications within the industry and to the press and general public. It lets people visit fur farms and it explains exactly what its standpoint is and how it operates.

In a new campaign, the IFTF has sought to emphasise the heritage and craft present in the industry; a point which has already come under fire by PETA. The ads show models placed amongst the accouterments of a design studio with attention to workshop items and tools.

Though the IFTF’s campaigns will presumably always be controversial, this craft-based approach focuses on what the IFTF itself does – foster design and promote the overall fur industry, from farmer to fashion house. By approaching the trade from this angle, the organisation is working toward a fresh approach to the industry's omnipresent reputational challenges.

CEO of the IFTF, Mark Oaten, says, “Our campaign works hard to communicate the fresh, modern face of fur while still acknowledging how important craft skills are in pushing the boundaries and re-inventing this most versatile of materials that has been in use since the dawn of mankind. So our strapline, ‘more than a coat’ references fur’s wide range of uses and the centuries of know-how and craftsmanship that consumers get when they buy fur.”

In addition to the focus on heritage, the IFTF is emphasising its own transparency through the campaign. Oaten adds, “We want our campaign to encourage an open and informed conversation about fur.”