• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 21, 2024

While an earnest apple and a snarky bunch of purple grapes may not be on every marketer’s dream team, Fruit of the Loom is re-enlisting the Fruit People for its latest launch.

It’s all part of an integrated campaign for the brand’s new underwear line, “The Getaway Collection,” aimed at the under-35 crowd who might be looking for fresh skivvies to toss in their vacation suitcase.

The new product collection “is intended to lean into the increased appeal in travel, both big and small. The versatility of this product is that it can conquer any getaway,” says Bryse Yonts, director of brand communications.

The campaign, created by GSD&M, takes two different approaches. First, those Fruit People took a road trip from the company’s Bowling Green, Kentucky headquarters to South Padre Island in Texas, filming as they went.

Like any spring breakers, they made plenty of pit stops. Those included stopping at a Walmart to stock up on road trip essentials and heading to Bucky’s, a large chain of gas stations.

The brand is also working with three social media influencers to promote the line on its channels.

Another series of spots features videos that build on the brand’s “Well Made. Well Priced” tagline. They are also humorous, albeit without the Fruit People. In one, the product is introduced to a hiker as “undies that wick away calls from the office.” Another promises undies “comfortable enough to make the middle seat feel like a first-class upgrade.”

“These are fun ways to show people how versatile, lightweight and comfortable the product is,” Yonts tells Marketing Daily. “They can truly conquer any situation.”

The company is leaning into different activations, too. Once in South Padre Island, the brand turned South Padre’s Blue Water Laundromat into a pop-up night spot. "Club Laundry" had lights, music, and a live performance by famous DJ Baauer.

“We intercepted spring breakers cleaning their dirty clothes and gave them a fresh pair of underwear while they waited,” Yonts says.

The company served drinks in underwear-shaped beverage holders that cooled, just like those Getaway boxer briefs.

And in a first for the brand, it’s using shoppable ads on smart TVs. Adds Yonts:  “We’re trying to increase conversions by reaching consumers through as many different touch points as we can.”