• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, September 16, 2024

 
Wrangler’s bright new ad campaign may look like it’s promoting the most important meal of the day. But the ads, featuring a cast of denim-clad early risers at their local diner, are targeting the up-and-at-‘em work ethic prized by its core audience.

It is Wrangler’s first new campaign since 2021.

“Wrangler has long been the choice of men and women who face every day with courage and optimism. This campaign is a celebration of that,” says John Meagher, vice president of global marketing at Wrangler, in the announcement. “At Wrangler, owning the morning is more than just getting your day started – it's harnessing the energy, opportunity and potential that each new day gives us.”

Parent company Kontoor Brands, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, says this is the first campaign it has created and produced entirely in-house.

Ads are running across TV, streaming video, social media and audio.

Set in a diner, the spots use the 1970s tune “Jeans On” by one-hit wonder David Dundas as a soundtrack. (He originally wrote the song as a jingle for Brutus Jeans.)

To keep that heritage vibe going, the cast is wearing a combination of vintage pieces from the 77-year-old brand, classic Western styles and new seasonal looks.

Kontoor, which PVH spun off in 2019 to shed both the Wrangler and Lee brands, has struggled with declining sales for the last nine months, even as rival Levi Strauss has achieved gains.

Kontoor is in the midst of a transformation plan called Project Jeanius, in which it hopes to strengthen brands, reduce debt and move past its legacy structure, turning the company into a global multi-brand platform.

*Euromonitor reports that last year, Wrangler had 6.2% of the U.S. denim market. Lee, also owned by Kontoor, had 3.2%. Levi's still leads with 11%.

*Story has been updated to include market share information.