Fruit of the Loom Opened a Fake Lingerie Store to Prove How Fancy Its Panties Really Are

In "Welcome to Früt," a campaign by agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the packaged clothing marketer treats shoppers to a new twist on the old bait-and-switch: Opening a chic pop-up store that supposedly sells expensive designer pieces (which are actually just the same old panties you can buy in a bag).

A pair of case study videos claims consumers were lured in by airy fabrics and vibrant patterns, only to discover a dirty secret—they were falling in love with lowbrow underwear.

The dramatic moment of truth—when Fruit of the Loom's logo spins out of its hiding place behind a false wall in the store—is almost comically awkward.

The store's willfully pretentious, umlaut-clad name may be the best part of the campaign. But the overall results are too slick to be particularly convincing, as is often the case with such stunts these days.

But none of that really matters, insofar as the brand gets its point across efficiently—underwear snobs don't know what they're missing, and they're paying more for the "privilege."

The company's latest marketing for men, meanwhile, focuses more directly on comfort while fully embracing the idiocy of that target—an approach which may or may not equally endear women to the brand.

CREDITS

Client: Fruit of the Loom

Campaign Title: Fruit Unpackaged

Agency: CP+B Boulder

Vp/Chief Creative Officer: Ralph Watson

Vp/Creative Director: Allen Richardson

Creative Director: D'Arcy O'Neill

Creative Director: Kt Thayer

Associate Creative Director: Mona Hasan

Associate Creative Director: Stephanie Kohnen

Vp/Executive Integrated Production, Video: Ramon Nuñez

Jr. Producer, Video: Amber Peña

Production Company: 8th Street Productions

Director: Whitey Mcconnaughy

Exec. Producer: Steve Devore

Line Producer: Carr Donald

Production Designer: Justin Dragonas

Editor: Jessica Dowling

Edit House & City: The Now Corporation, NYC

Vfx Company & City: Method Studios, L.A.

Retoucher & Company: Company 3

Mix Company & City: Lime Studios, La

Audio Engineer: Mark Meyuhas, Matt Miller

Music : Duotone

Sr. Strategist: Rebecca Harris

Strategist: Fabiana Brown

Evp/Managing Director: Danielle Whalen

Vp Account Director: Kristi Kirkeide Boutiette

Content Supervisor: Whitney Beemer

Content Manager: Lindsay Melloh

Vp/Executive Producer, Interactive: Dan Corken

Associate Media Director: Craig Mcdowell

Media Supervisor: Liz Rogers

Media Planner: Whitney Atkinson

Social Media Supervisor: Jillian Hart

Social Media Community Manager: Katie Souther

Business Affairs Manager: Daphne Papadopulos

Sr. Project Manager: Alex Blumfelder

Jr. Project Manager: Meghan Walsh

Media: DM

PR Company: Ketchum, New York, USA

Account Executive: Colleen Mattingly