• July 22, 2003

Fruit of the Loom Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of basic family apparel, launched its first-ever Hispanic advertising campaign in the U.S. on July 21. The Fruit Guys, long-standing cultural icons who returned last year to a new generation of consumers, will now reach out directly to Hispanic consumers as well. The two TV spots will feature Hispanic Fruit Guys in Spanish-language ads and will air on Spanish-language networks in the U.S. for the first time in the company's history. Billings are undisclosed. "The Fruit Guys are synonymous with Fruit of the Loom and are an important part of our brand's heritage," said John Shivel, vice president of advertising and communications for Fruit of the Loom. "We are thrilled to present Hispanic Fruit Guys in Spanish-language ads, which demonstrates our brand's ability to embrace a wide variety of audiences in the United States." The two 30-second ads were produced by Grupo Gallegos, Fruit of the Loom's Hispanic agency of record. In "SWAT Team," the Fruit Guys are on a covert mission to ensure that everyone has Fruit of the Loom underwear -- at the laundromat, on clotheslines, and even on store mannequins. The second spot, called "TV Ad," focuses on women's intimates. Here, the Fruit Guys show their disappointment when they realize that the ad they just saw includes a very minor appearance by the Fruit Guys, and that their limelight has been stolen by the beautiful models wearing Fruit of the Loom intimates. The TV advertising campaign will launch nationwide on July 21 on four Spanish-language networks, Univision (ex: Sabado Gigante and Despierta America), Telemundo (ex: La Cenicienta and De Mananita), Telefutura (ex: Escandalo de Mediodia) and Galavision (ex: Vida TV and Hoy). The campaign uses the theme line, "Un buen dia empieza con Fruit of the Loom" and seeks to convey the brand's inherent honesty and dependability in combination with a variety of the company's products .