'Look Who's In Hanes Undies: Cuba Gooding, Michael Jordan

Cuba Gooding Jr. and Michael Jordan are the latest celebs to join Hanes' "Look Who" campaign in support of the brand's ComfortSoft Collection for Men.

The Academy Award-winning actor and basketball great team in a series of three funny TV ads created by The Martin Agency of Richmond, Va.

The campaign will begin on Monday and will also air the next night during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Highlighting the Hanes ComfortSoft Underwear and ComfortSoft Undershirt, all three TV spots will underscore that with Hanes one doesn't have to sacrifice style for superior comfort.

In one ad, Jordan and Gooding are on the set of a fictional late-night talk show, where the two are guests. In "Gift Basket," Gooding arrives in his dressing room to find a gift basket of Hanes products along with a note from "MJ" urging him to try the ComfortSoft waistband underwear.

Excited at the thought of receiving a gift from Michael Jordan, Gooding immediately tries on the underwear for himself and runs to tell Jordan about it. Jordan, surrounded by adoring fans signing autographs, is suddenly stopped in his tracks when he hears Gooding yelling, "I'm wearing your underwear!" and is flabbergasted that the comment is directed at him. An embarrassed Gooding reflects as the fans stare at him in dismay.

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The second ad, entitled "Meeting MJ," features a smooth Gooding who is being briefed by show producers about what not to do when meeting Jordan -- specifically he is not to touch Jordan's soft shirt.

However, the minute Gooding sees Jordan, he's overwhelmed with excitement about meeting the legendary basketball star, and Gooding grabs Jordan into a bear hug. Immediately Gooding recognizes the soft shirt that he was warned about and starts telling Jordan how soft he is while tightening his grip on the shirt, eventually having to be pulled away by a gang of staff and security.

Continuing in the same humorous approach, the third TV spot, "Dressing Room," features Gooding alone in Jordan's dressing room with the basketball star's duffle bag. Unable to resist temptation, Gooding begins rifling through the bag and finds a cereal box with Jordan's photo, Jordan Cologne, a basketball and a Hanes ComfortSoft Undershirt. Gooding tries on the undershirt and engages in a hilarious imitation of Jordan playing basketball until he is caught by the stunned basketball star.

"To reach our male consumer we wanted to clearly show that Hanes provides superior comfort and affordable style through a humorous TV execution complemented by an engaging online presence," says Sidney Falken, SVP/Hanes brand, in a statement. "By pairing Gooding's charisma and great sense of humor with sport's most iconic athlete, we feel this approach will resonate with men of all ages, across a broad spectrum of interests."

The TV campaign will run through June and will be complemented with an online banner campaign. In addition, a 15-second teaser spot of "Meeting MJ" will air on TV, and will drive viewers to an integrated microsite, Hanes.com/Backstage, to see four different "alternate endings."

The execution allows Hanes to add freshness to the story line while encouraging interaction between the brand and its consumers. The microsite, which goes live Monday, will allow visitors to virtually explore Jordan and Gooding's dressing rooms (while trying not to get caught). Additional components including behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes from the commercial shoot, as well as interactive games with prizes that will be added throughout the summer.

Hanes launched the widely popular "Look Who" advertising campaign in 2005. Since its inception, the ads have featured celebrities including Matthew Perry, Marisa Tomei, Damon Wayans, Christina Applegate, Kevin Bacon and most recently Jennifer Love Hewitt.

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