
Roping ornery cattle is a sweaty business, so Wrangler is introducing a new take on cowboy cool: Premium Performance Cool Vantage Jeans. And it’s proof positive that the influence of the yoga
pants-fueled “athleisure” trend is reaching as far as rodeo, bringing new fabric technology to traditional denim.
The ad campaign for the launch includes television, digital, print, radio, and billboards as well as interactive in-store elements, and it’s the first from Toth+Co, which recently
added the Premium Performance line to its existing Wrangler assignments. Since it targets working cowhands, the company is introducing the campaign in the Southwest. (The Boston-based ad agency is
also behind Wrangler’s flagship brand, with ads that feature such athletes as retired quarterback Brett Favre, the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees and NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
advertisement
advertisement
In addition to the Cool Vantage Jeans, which are engineered with advanced moisture wicking properties, Toth also created ads for Premium Performance Advanced Comfort Jeans, which are
built for a larger range of motion and boast twice the durability. (The Premium Performance line started with Cowboy Cut Jeans, which the company says has already become a favorite of its core
audience.)
Wrangler, owned by apparel giant VF Corp., is one of the few brands bucking the downward drag on denim sales. The company recently released its second-quarter earnings,
and reports that its jeanswear sales rose 4%, on a currency neutral basis, with the Wrangler brand climbing 7%. (At Lee, which it also owns, sales for the quarter rose 1%.)
Overall,
denim sales continue to suffer as consumers opt for casual wear that is more athletic and performance-driven. The NPD Group -- a Port Washington, N.Y. based market research company -- says that sales
of jeans in the U.S. have declined 5% in dollar sales in the 12-month period ended in May.