Stripping Down to Basics: Unpacking Calvin Klein’s “Ad Without An Idea.”
About three weeks have passed since the launch of Calvin Klein’s Spring 2024 Campaign. In the event you’ve been cocooned at the St. Regis in Aspen (good season) or lost in a 3-week Sopranos marathon (Don’t Disrespect The Bing), let me catch you up.
Picture Jeremy Allen White, confidently parading in his underwear through the streets and rooftops of Manhattan. That’s pretty much the whole deal. No complex narrative, no profound symbolism, no “Big Idea.” Simply a man in his skivvies, exuding a carefree, bad-boy, DGAF attitude. And it works.
This 60 seconds threw the ad world into a tizzy, clutching their cappuccinos in horror: how dare something without concept captivate the public? It has triggered everyone from C-level ECDs to Jr. writers. Many have lashed out at the lack of a big idea. They’re right. I don’t see the big idea either. But guess what? The audience really doesn’t care.
The Big Idea
No big idea. That’s a tough pill to swallow for some, who for years have been entrenched in the belief of its necessity. Ad people are baffled, even irked. How can our focus-grouped, tried and tested, precious executions fall flat, and a “no-concept ad” break through with 3.6 million views and counting? It’s not fair.
In our agency bubble, filled with ironic t-shirts, bowler hats, confirmation bias and the headache-inducing scent of Santal 33, a reality check is in order, especially if this ad sets us off. Do we expect consumers to ponder deeply over ads, really taking in the nuance of our design system, or pithy subhead?
Do we think anyone outside of the Ad world is saying, “You know, I’m having a hard time figuring out the platform idea behind that Jeremy Allen tighty-whitey ad, I’ll dig in a bit more this weekend.”
No, even the best ads come and go in our consciousness, replaced by whatever shiny new object captivates us next.
We’re human. That’s how we roll.
Still, many creatives have treated the ad like an office piñata, passing around the insult baton to take their hits, while screaming, “How Is This Even An Idea?”
But, the grown-up thing to do is not hate on it, but be curious, and learn from it. That’s because this ad “without an idea” has a few good lessons for us all. But only if we are willing to listen.
The Quiet Part
The public doesn’t have the time or inclination to unravel an intricate narrative we’ve painstakingly crafted in our Aeron Chair. They’re drawn to what cuts through the noise, what is immediate, memorable, captivating. Maybe it’s a cheap veneer, maybe it goes against every principle we’ve been taught in the ad school of life, but does the public care?
I’ve already answered that.
That conflict we feel is simply our own ego speaking while we clutch onto the part of the industry we understand and can replicate. You know, bite and smile, beauty shot of pizza, happy family in an SUV (man driving, of course). We deliver the familiar, the everyday. We think that’s what the public wants to see, themselves presented back to them. Then, we’re miffed when the ad goes unnoticed.
Are our best practices failing us?
In the ad industry, we are led to believe time, complexity and depth are often equated with value. Complex strategy. Focus groups. Testing. Executions that try to hit a laundry list of impossible points, and a million people weighing in when they don’t. So, when an ad says, “Screw That,” and trades these well-worn processes for fresh simplicity, it can feel jarring. Almost like they’re not playing by the agreed-upon rules of replication, derivation and creative by committee. As a result, we present anger (when we are really feeling jealous), and look for ways to cut it down.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this happen. Still, we refuse to change our approach, even as the public consumption habits have shifted considerably. And when someone just says, “Fuck it, let’s just have Jeremy Allen White in underwear,” we get upset at that deviation, rather than adjusting our own approach.
The Science Behind the Spectacle: Our Brains on Ads
People encounter up to 10,000 ads daily, and that has transformed how we process information. Neuroscience reveals that our overloaded brains prioritize efficiency, focusing on what’s new, immediately relevant or engaging. In this world of constant stimulation, it’s the impactful and unexpected moments that capture our attention, rather than the grand gestures, which take more cognitive function. The Calvin Klein ad, in its stripped down simplicity, leverages this shift. Familiar face. Underwear. Street. Sweat. Couch. That was probably the pitch.
The approach works: Our brains notice change above all else. So, change as a strategy has been leveraged since the days of print. Change your logo, people will notice. Change the packaging, it will catch people’s eyes in the grocery aisle. Yet, when it comes to creating our own ads, we are ushered toward a place of sameness through replicated best practices. This makes our work beholden to the banal. And when our “slo-mo hair toss” ad doesn’t break through, we simply find vanity metrics to spin it in our direction. Rinse. Repeat. Bore the public.
Fashion Ads
Yes, it’s easy to be rebellious in fashion, which has long embraced avant-garde approaches, often prioritizing bold imagery and emotional appeal over explicit narratives. That’s another argument. And I agree.
You’ve seen the Gucci ads, right? To someone outside of the fashion business, they are head scratchers. But they know their audience isn’t necessarily seeking a deep, underlying message in every ad. Rather, they’re drawn to what’s visually appealing and immediately engaging. Fashion brands get it, and have mastered the art of creating striking campaigns that quickly capture the essence of their brand without relying on a storytelling arc.
And for those of us who grew up with Brooke Shields and Markie Mark, this work is completely on brand. Provocative. Simple. Straightforward. Sexy. Calvin Klein owns the “nothing but underwear” look. We immediately know the brand, without thinking or looking at the branded waistband. So it’s less spectacle for spectacle sake, as this work easily tracks.
The Power of the Part over the Whole
This trend of focusing on fresh, standout elements reflects a broader shift in our cognitive habits. In an information-saturated world, we’ve adapted by becoming efficient at processing and remembering new information in small, impactful chunks. It’s a survival mechanism for the information age. It has even changed how we communicate in more general terms.
Memes are the new language of engagement — They don’t require deep thought or reflection; they’re designed to deliver a quick hit of humor, relatability or insight. Memes simplify and amplify, often removing the original context to create something universally relatable and instantly shareable. This change in cognitive processing highlights a move towards prioritizing immediacy and personal connection in the digital age.
Whether it’s in advertising, TV, music, or literature, it’s the moments that stand out, and get replayed as their own language. In TV, it’s often not the overarching story that becomes a cultural phenomenon, but specific moments or lines. Think about the iconic scenes or dialogues from shows like “Friends” or “The Office.” It’s these snippets that get immortalized in memes and daily conversations, not the entire plot. We’re no longer diving deep; we’re skimming for highlights, pulling out things that catch our eye, replaying the “I Love You…I know” moments. Our brains have been wired to gravitate towards the part rather than the whole. We don’t see the tree, only the fruit we like.
It’s a completely different way of looking at things, but clearly aligned with the Calvin Klein strategy. While others were creating stories, they simply created a moment. So why don’t we try that approach ourselves, instead of being bulldozed by old agency ways to build complex narratives that disappear into the void?
The Power of the Moment
The Calvin campaign is a lesson in modern marketing, a wake-up call to an industry that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Have we been too enamored with big ideas for our own good? In our quest for depth and complexity, have we lost sight of what the audience actually wants, or is willing to bare? (Sorry, had to get at least one pun in there).
This campaign serves as a reminder that sometimes, the freedom of not being bogged down by an idea can be the best idea. Especially if we can deliver an immediate, bold impression that jolts the viewer out of their autopilot mode and forces them to take notice.
That’s something a best practice can never do.
This trend is a response to a broader cultural shift towards immediacy. In a world fighting for instant attention, the cherry will always stand out, even without the Sunday it sits atop. We need to be brave enough to present the part, rather than the whole to deliver the simple, noticeable qualities that resonate with our instinctually selective brains.
If we are willing to embrace the lesson, it’s a useful one. The future of advertising is not about who can spin the most intricate tale, but who can create the most resonant message with the fewest strokes.
