CREATIVE SHOWCASE

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Client:Hanes
Creative Agency:The Martin Agency

We are passionate about bringing our customers new and bold ideas that not only build on the strong equity we already own, but more importantly, make their lives more comfortable. This new campaign is especially designed to tackle and conquer women's top underwear complaint -- the dreaded and always inopportune wedgie. Because this is a common but still delicate issue, we relied on humor to bring these panty issues to light and provide our female consumers with an easy and comfortable solution -- the new No Ride Up Panty. The campaign stars actress Sarah Chalke, whose uncanny knack for physical comedy and approachable personality made her the perfect personality to ignite conversation about the campaign and new product offering. We loved that Sarah shared her own wedgie mishap at The Emmy's with us, and it was this candid openness that made her the perfect person to give a voice to our campaign.

The campaign combines traditional media with social networking, all of which tap Sarah's comedic nature. Below please find an outline of our campaign initiatives:

The multifaceted campaign aligns television, print and online advertising with an engaging and interactive microsite.

• Two versions of the TV spots, both highlighting the No Ride Up Panty, will roll out throughout the year in 15- and 30-second formats. The first spot, titled, "Shopping," debuted on March 11 during "American Idol."  
   
  
• Online advertising kicked off on March 11 with a YouTube homepage road block.
  
  
• The print extension, titled "My Red Carpet Wedgie," will run in women's fashion and lifestyle publications throughout the year.

TV spots are housed on the microsite. All ad elements direct the consumer to the microsite. Consumers can:

• Preview behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes from the commercial shoot and Sarah's own dance "Wedgie Dance" video 
  
  
• Sign up for weekly "Wedgie-Free Wednesdays" product giveaways
  
  
• Submit their own wedgie story and rate other stories using the "Blush-O-Meter"
  
  
• Send humorous wedgie e-cards to their friends

TV spots are also housed on a branded YouTube channel.

There has been an overwhelmingly positive response from both media and consumer perspectives. Prior to its launch, the campaign tested extremely well with consumers, and we're continuing to see these positive reactions.
-- David Robertson, director of brand communications, Hanesbrands Inc.

Creative Showcase is meant to be a teaching tool and an inspiration for our readers. We comment only on creative that we really love. Our panelists discuss what makes it great, but if they feel there were missed opportunities that would have made it better, we invite them to mention those. And finally, we seek out a wide range of opinions that reflect the marketplace for the panel, in order to provide constructive, useable feedback for agencies, clients and others involved in these creative pieces.

It's true. There's nothing worse than having your skivvies creep up on you at any time, especially the inopportune ones. As part of the market Hanes is targeting, I think this campaign is right on. Barring a couple of cheesy innuendos, it makes the process of buying comfortable underwear humorous. And it asks for audience participation. Every girl/woman has been a victim of the wedgie at least once in her life (unless she goes commando, in which case she's got a whole new set of obstacles), making this campaign something she can easily relate to.

The streaming video showcases the problem at hand and helps build brand awareness of the campaign's commercials. In a day when DVR and TiVo have waged war on the TV spot, I actually found myself wanting to watch all of the wedgie-sodes -- even the behind-the-scenes clip. The presentation is visually appealing, while the content is clever and enticing. I actually wanted to find out more about these stationary briefs, and I was just there for a write-up. The site doesn't bombard you with too much information either. It presents the wedgie issue, the product, a chance to win the hero product, as well as creative, humorous and relatable wedgie stories that invite audience participation. And then you're done. You can be on your way back to work, life or reading your other million forwarded emails.

Overall, I say "bravo" to Hanes for making light of an uncomfortable situation. The site is appealing and positions Hanes as a company that actually knows its product and its target. I just hope these immovable undies live up to the hype.
-- Kelly O'Connell, copywriter, Basement, Inc.

As a male, my wedgie memories usually involve grade-school bullies. But, according to Hanes, women are plagued by a chronic scrunching of the undergarments.

The "Be Wedgie-Free!" site features a series of commercials showing actress Sarah Chalke attempting to shake, shimmy and squirm away from a wedgie in public while avoiding the most dreaded maneuver -- picking it out with her hand. Chalke plays a clumsy, blond doctor on the sitcom "Scrubs." Here, she continues the clumsy shtick and creates laughs for fans of the show.

The website also features user-submitted wedgie catastrophes, complete with a "Blush-O-Meter" for rating the level of embarrassment. A bridesmaid's story about being caught picking a wedgie on her friend's wedding film is cringe-inducing, and most visitors ranked it at the "dig a hole, crawl inside" level of embarrassment.

The website is thoroughly girly -- I won't be wishing any female friends a "Wedgie-Free Wednesday" with an e-card anytime soon -- but Chalke's wedgie dance and the user-generated horror stories are a riot.
-- Rich Cherecwich, assistant editor, iMedia Connection