A Wren Says

If you haven’t seen the recent Jeremy Allen White Calvin Klein ads, you might be intentionally avoiding them. They are everywhere. As they say, they have gone viral. So if you weren’t hit with targeted ads, or passing by a billboard, chances are that someone showed it to you. But why is that? Why have they captured a hold on society? Why have they gone viral? I would argue that it is two key elements. They are both incredibly simple and yet wholly unexpected.

The ads themselves are simple. Calvin Klein is at this point known for its use of black and white photography in their print ads. Nothing gets between the subject and his Calvins, no fussy back drops, no extra details. Everything, including the model, is stripped down. But of course, this is the Calvin Klein formula. There is nothing inherently special about that.

Calvin Klein has debuted a series of ads focus on male actors and models. But those didn’t catch fire the way this one did. I heard nothing about the ads with Michael B Jordan or Aaron Taylor-Johnson or pick any of the ads really. White is what made the difference.

Jeremy Allen White is a star on the rise in Hollywood, but the ad showcased him in an unexpected light. While the previous models, actors, and athletes in these campaigns were also in shape, that was expected of them. The public had an idea of how they looked, with the many photo shoots they had done in the past or the physical roles they play. But White is now best known for playing a chef, not an action hero. He was taken out of the kitchen and onto a rooftop, and people were shocked by what they saw. This was unexpected and a new way to see him.

Intentional or not, Calvin Klein nailed to formula on this one. Keep it simple, but keep it fresh.