• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 22, 2009

When Wrangler starting shooting its fall campaign, it didn't know what Brett Favre, the oft-retired NFL quarterback, had up the sleeve of that No. 4 jersey. But the company thinks his last-minute signing with the Minnesota Vikings just as the new campaign is breaking will likely generate more attention for its budget denim brand.

"We didn't know Brett's career plans when shooting the commercials, but we honestly didn't care whether he played or not," says Jenni Broyles, senior marketing communications manager for Wrangler. "Whenever someone is in the news, for whatever reason, there is an added spotlight on the other things in their life, and we would expect that to be true to some extent right now. However, the success of the campaign will go well beyond that. Brett is a Wrangler man."

Certainly, much of the publicity surrounding Favre's controversial decision to un-retire yet again, and sign a $25 million, two-year deal with the Vikings, has been negative -- and his weepy faux-retirement speech has become one of most mocked moments in recent sports history. But it also may illustrate why he's been such a good fit with the Wrangler demographic. "He is an authentic, hard-working guy that our consumers relate to," she says.

Themed "You Can Count on Wrangler," the campaign supports two different lines -- Wrangler Jeans Co., endorsed by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Wrangler Five Star Premium Denim, fronted by Favre.

The new TV, print, radio and Web spots highlight value -- Wrangler is priced at less than $20. Ads, created by Toth Brand Imaging, are scheduled to run throughout the fall, generating an estimated 3.4 billion media impressions, especially in general news and sports media. Print ads are slated for Sports Illustrated and Popular Mechanics, online ads will run on SI.com and Yahoo.

Wrangler, sold at stores like Walmart and Target, is owned by VF Corp., which also owns Lee, the North Face, Vans and 7 for All Mankind.