This was the spring 2010 Calvin Klein’s underwear campaign. Calvin Klein X is probably the raciest commercial I have seen. It has course language and a lot of sex appeal which is why it speaks to our pop culture.
I came across this ad on my friends facebook webpage. She was studying it in a culture & media class (go figure), and wanted to share. There were many comments of the video and it didn’t surprise me that they were all women. This poses an interesting question, does this new Calvin Klein men’s underwear line target or get through to the male consumer?
I asked a couple of my guy friends (after they watched the ad) if they would consider buying CK’s new product. A couple of them that were already loyal to Calvin’s said they would. Others, weren’t interested and thought it was strange and concerning that the semi-naked men asked if they “want to see their *$%^.”
After talking to some men, I looked at some of the comments that this video had on YouTube. Again, there was a consistent trend of WOMEN saying how “hot” and “sexy” they thought this commercial was.
In class we discussed how the women of the household tend to influence more of the purchasing decisions. In my opinion, this is what Calvin Klein’s marketing strategy entails. They are targeting females who will drool over the actors in this commercial and in turn buy Calvin Klein X for their boyfriends &/or husbands. However, I am not convinced that CK has dismissed the prospect of targeting to the predominately male users. Many men, are drawn to Calvin Klein X because they too want to feel and look sexy in their undergarments. The athletes and actors presented in this commercial have perfectly sculpted figures which can inspire & attract male buyers.
Overall, I wanted to share this commercial because I find it is very unique as I have not seen anything like it before. I also am curious to see if this ad proved to be helpful in the sales for CK’s new line. Despite the controversy and alarm it may have on some viewers, I think this commercial is quite affective to youthful men and women.