• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 28, 2017

In its new campaign, Cotton Inc. is setting aside its rational appeal for a more emotional sell, one it hopes will resonate with consumers in these edgy times.

Called “Leave Comfort to Clothes,” the organization's first campaign in two years focuses on the physical coziness of cotton, while pushing the idea of leaving your mental comfort zone, says Jill Orsini, director of advertising. Three different 15-second spots illustrate that kind of psychological dice-rolling. 

In “Festival,” which began airing this week on ABC and Fox, as well as Bravo, E and other cable and digital channels, a young woman takes a plunge into a mud pit. In “Kiss,” a young man finds the nerve to step out of the friend zone, and in “Truck,” a young corporate couple trades it all in to buy a food truck. The second two will begin airing this summer, Orsini tells Marketing Daily. DDB New York is the agency,

Orsini says the campaign represents a real switch from the “Favorites” effort that broke two years ago. While the brand’s message is still aimed at women and men between 18 and 49, the world is different place these days.

“It's not just the election,” Orsini says, “but we are living in uncomfortable times. Happiness indexes are lower. The marketplace is more cluttered, and people are more apathetic about clothes. They aren’t paying attention to labels as much, and with the rise of fast fashion, they’re often spending their disposable income on disposable clothes.”

She says Cotton Inc., which represents both growers and producers, wanted to take that consumer insight and turn it into short, positive story-telling. “We thought it was time to appeal to the heart as much as the head,” she says.

The campaign plans to use digital components to build awareness of the campaign, provide an education about cotton's benefits, and encourage them to shop for clothes made of cotton.