Subliminal
Fruit of the Loom
Issue 48 | September 2018
Agency
CP+B
Creative Team
Creative Director KT Thayer Associate Creative Director, Art Director Shannon Gibney Associate Creative Director, Copywriter Josh Shelton
Production Team
Director Of Outeractive Production Jeffrey Yeatman Integrated Producer, Outeractive Julia Alvernaz Production Companies Grandesign Advertising Firm Inc., San Diego; Alchemy Media Holdings, Los Angeles; Ming Studios, Boulder.
Other Credits
EVP, President Danielle Whalen VP Account Director Kristi Kirkeide Boutiette Management Supervisor Mark Hurley Content Supervisor Lauren Sobolik Content Manager Carolyn Martin Senior Project Manager Courtney Dixon Project Manager Maddy Kereszturi Group Strategy Director Kaylin Goldstein Senior Strategist Bethany Lechner Social Media Supervisor Kristen Fox, Nanci Zurek Associate Media Director Craig McDowell Director of Business Affairs Trisha Ramdoo Business Affairs Manager Ann Shelton
Date
June 2018
Background
The insight to this campaign was that people seldom notice advertising, a fact which chimed in with the core proposition for new Fruit of the Loom Everlight underwear. It was so light to wear, wearers would not notice it.
Instead of a traditional campaign, the idea was to do an experiment to prove that when Fruit of the Loom told people that Everlight underwear was so light they would not notice it, they really meant that people would not notice it.
Idea
Everlight underwear was hidden in different locations all around New York City along with stacks of cash, free for the taking in broad daylight, if anyone noticed it.
The free giveaways were spelled out on billboards and posters, through QR codes, little doors and whatever those inflatable wavy man things are called – all with clear instructions on how to get the cash.
Results
In a city of nine million, only six people noticed the underwear and cash. More was hidden at the same time as a video was released, showing the NYC experiment in action.
Our Thoughts
The trick with this campaign will be in getting large enough numbers of people to notice what other people didn’t notice. Just in case they didn’t, there was a TV campaign doing a more straightforward selling job.
One of the creative directors was quoted saying he was “terrified” absolutely no- one would notice any of the clues they’d hidden. Enough people did read the ads and scoop up the loot to create video content that can be used in countless ways across social media to reinforce the message. The guy loading the $1,851 he found hidden in a bicycle basket is my favourite. He looks so guilty.