Fruit of the Loom Goes Totally '80s With Comical Freeze-Frame Ads for Sweatpants

You know the sweet feeling you get when you slip into Fruit of the Loom jogger-style sweats, and you're so stoked that you belt out the brand's jingle and leap into the air, and hang there, suspended high above the ground for 20 or 30 seconds, with just your lips moving? Well, CP+B's new "Sweet in Sweats" campaign is all about that feeling. [kickout id="1"] "Our team was talking about how putting on a pair of sweats can actually impact your mood," CP+B creative director KT Thayer tells AdFreak. "You feel better the instant you put them on, which reminded us of those ads in the 1980s where people were so happy with whatever product they were advertising that they were compelled to jump into the air. It was ridiculous, and therefore perfect." [kickout id="2"] "At some point in the '80s there must have been some testing that suggested jumping into the air then freeze framing, then having a quick jingle play, was extremely compelling," Thayer says, "because it seemed to be used in everything from cars to candy. Maybe even the final shot in a few John Hughes movies." Indeed, here's a vintage Toyota commercial that fits the bill. As for "candy," well, we couldn't quickly find such an '80s ad, but John Candy does freeze up in the final frames of Hughes '80s flicks Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Uncle Buck. (Though he doesn't jump around or start singing, thankfully.) For Fruit of the Loom, "the effect was pretty simple, just a green screen and a few apple boxes," Thayer says. (The latter for the talent to stand on. D'uh!) CP+B has gone the memorably silly route for the brand's sweats before, nabbing a 2017 Project Isaac Award from Adweek in the Partnership Invention category for its faux-natty "Professionals Collection." On Tuesday, "Sweet in Sweats" leaped onto ESPN SportsCenter, with an in-studio commercial that was billed as the show's first "live" ad, though it was actually filmed hours before airing. (That was part of the joke. D'uh!) Kenny Mayne hosted, with Justin Kilker, associate manager of the cable network's CreativeWorks group, stepping into the sweet spot: [kickout id="3"] Kilker wasn't very animated, but maybe that's fitting, since the commercial itself wasn't really transmitted live. "I think using Kenny Mayne was a huge factor in why ESPN made so much sense. He has such a great dry sense of humor. We wanted his role to be pretty heavy handed, and he was able to deliver it in a way that still felt witty and fun," Thayer says. "ESPN and Fruit of the Loom have had a great relationship over the past few years, and we're always looking for new and innovative ways to promote our client's brands. SportsCenter has the influential young male audience that we want to reach with our sweats message." Yeah, the show's demo falls right into the brand's sweet spot. *Bursts into song. Jumps into the air. Hangs there with a big ol' grin.* CREDITS Client: Fruit of the Loom Campaign Title: Sweet in Sweats Agency: CP+B VP/Chief Creative Officer: Ralph Watson Creative Director: KT Thayer Associate Creative Director: Shannon Gibney Senior Copywriter: Josh Shelton Director Of Content Production, Video: Sloan Schroeder Integrated Producer, Video: Katie Frank EVP/Managing Director: Danielle Whalen VP/Account Director: Kristi Kirkeide Boutiette Content Supervisor: Katie DeSimone Content Manager: Carolyn Martin Strategist: Emma Price Social Media Supervisor: Jessica Rudis Associate Media Director: Craig McDowell Media Planner: Whitney Atkinson Sr. Business Affairs Manager: Daphne Papadopulos Production Company & City: Kapsized, Los Angeles Director: Casey Storm Executive Producer: Scott Kaplan Producer: Jed Herold Line Producer: Jed Herold Editorial Company & City: Cut & Run, Santa Monica Editorial Senior Producer: Jared Thomas Editorial Executive Producer: Amber Farls Editor: Andy Green Assistant Editor: Thomas Rickert VFX Company & City: Jogger, Santa Monica Post Executive Producer: Rich Rama Lead Flame Artist: Shauna Prescott Telecine Company & City: Jogger London Colorist: Yoomin lee Telecine Producer: Maggie McDermott Audio Post Production Studio & City: Beacon Street, Venice Mix Engineer: Rommel Molina Mix Engineer Assist: Vivi Rojas Executive Producer (Mix): Leslie DiLullo Principal: Andrew Feltenstein Principal: John Nau Sound Design Company & City: Beacon Street, Venice Sound Engineer: Rommel Molina

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Fruit of the Loom Goes Totally '80s With Comical Freeze-Frame Ads for Sweatpants

Plus, it aired a 'live' commercial on SportsCenter

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