Hanes® today announced that Cuba Gooding Jr. will be featured alongside Michael Jordan in the brand’s latest “Look Who” advertising campaign. Supporting the new Hanes ComfortSoft® Collection for Men, which includes the Hanes ComfortSoft Undershirt and ComfortSoft Underwear, the campaign will feature Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and basketball great Michael Jordan in a series of three comedic television ads with twists of unscripted dialogue and alternate endings.
“When people think of Hanes, they think of comfort. To reach our male consumer we wanted to clearly show that Hanes provides superior comfort and affordable style through a humorous TV execution complemented by an engaging online presence,” said Sidney Falken, senior vice president, Hanes brand. “By pairing Cuba’s charisma and great sense of humor with sport’s most iconic athlete, we feel this approach will resonate with men of all ages, across a broad spectrum of interests.”
The television campaign, created by The Martin Agency of Richmond, Va., will begin on July 9 and will also air the next night during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Highlighting the Hanes ComfortSoft Underwear and ComfortSoft Undershirt, all three TV spots will underscore that with Hanes one doesn’t have to sacrifice style for superior comfort.
The ComfortSoft Underwear made from 100 percent ultrasoft breathable cotton and features a cotton-wrapped waistband to resist pinching and binding. It’s Hanes’ most comfortable waistband ever, delivering irresistible all-day comfort. The Hanes ComfortSoft Undershirt features super soft ring-spun cotton fabric and superior collar construction (and it’s tagless).
All three TV spots feature funny encounters between Michael and Cuba on the set of a fictional late night talk show where the two are guests. In “Gift Basket,” Cuba arrives in his dressing room to find a gift basket of Hanes products along with a note from “MJ” urging him to try the ComfortSoft waistband underwear. Excited at the thought of receiving a gift from Michael Jordan, Cuba immediately tries on the underwear for himself and runs to tell Michael about it. Michael, surrounded by adoring fans signing autographs, is suddenly stopped in his tracks when he hears Cuba yelling, “I’m wearing your underwear!” and is flabbergasted that the comment is directed at him. An embarrassed Cuba reflects as the fans stare at him in dismay.
The second ad, entitled “Meeting MJ,” features a smooth Cuba who is being briefed by show producers about what not to do when meeting Michael -- specifically he is not to touch Michael’s soft shirt. However, the minute Cuba sees Michael, he’s overwhelmed with excitement about meeting the legendary basketball star, and Cuba grabs Michael into a bear hug. Immediately Cuba recognizes the soft shirt that he was warned about and starts telling Michael how soft he is while tightening his grip on the shirt, eventually having to be pulled away by a gang of staff and security.
Continuing in the same humorous approach, the third TV spot, “Dressing Room,” features Cuba finds himself alone in Michael’s dressing room with the basketball star’s duffle bag. Unable to resist temptation, Cuba begins rifling through the bag and finds a cereal box with Michael’s photo, Jordan Cologne, a basketball and a Hanes ComfortSoft Undershirt. Cuba tries on the undershirt and engages in a hilarious imitation of Michael playing basketball until he is caught by the stunned basketball star.
The TV campaign will run through June 2008 and will be complemented with an online banner campaign. In addition, a 15-second teaser spot of “Meeting MJ” will air on TV, and will drive viewers to an integrated microsite, www.Hanes.com/Backstage, to see four different “alternate endings.” The execution allows Hanes to add freshness to the story line while encouraging interaction between the brand and its consumers. The microsite, which goes live July 9, will allow visitors to virtually explore Michael and Cuba’s dressing rooms (while trying not to get caught). Additional components including behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes from the commercial shoot, as well as interactive games with prizes that will be added throughout the summer.
Hanes launched the widely popular "Look Who" advertising campaign in 2005. Since its inception, the ads have featured celebrities including Matthew Perry, Marisa Tomei, Damon Wayans, Christina Applegate, Kevin Bacon and most recently Jennifer Love Hewitt.
About Hanes
Hanes is a leading brand of intimate apparel, underwear, sleepwear, socks, shoes and casual apparel. Hanes is a flagship brand of Hanesbrands Inc. Hanes products can be found at leading retailers nationwide and online direct to consumers at www.hanes.com.
About Hanesbrands Inc.
Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI) is a leading marketer of innerwear, outerwear and hosiery apparel under strong consumer brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, Just My Size, barely there and Wonderbra. The company designs, manufactures, sources and sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men’s underwear, children’s underwear, socks, hosiery, casualwear and activewear. Hanesbrands has approximately 50,000 employees in 24 countries. More information about Hanesbrands Inc. may be found on the Internet at www.Hanesbrands.com.