Away spoofs Jeremy Allen White’s CK ads—inside the 24-hour turnaround

Sure, Jeremy Allen White is ripped. But have you seen the washboard abs on Away’s suitcases? In one of the new year’s more amusing social posts, the luggage company posted images this weekend spoofing White’s buzzy new Calvin Klein ads, in which the Golden Globe-winning star of “The Bear” poses in his underwear against the New York City skyline—the latest in a long line of celeb CK campaigns. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here Away’s parody consisted of two black-and-white photos mimicking photographer Mert Alas’s shots of White. In both, a large pair of CK briefs are hiked up on the distinctively ribbed Away suitcase. One of the pics directly spoofs the CK ad showing White lying down on the edge of a building. “Yes, chef,” read Away’s caption on Instagram—a reference to the signature phrase on “The Bear.” The post has garnered nearly 14,000 likes as of this writing, far more than the brand’s other posts shared around the same time. On Thursday, CK unveiled its White ads on social and on large-scale billboards. At a meeting Friday morning, Away’s social team marveled at how the campaign had set the internet on fire. Soon, they had an idea for a response. “Our team’s bias for action is what made this so successful,” Alice Chen, Away’s director of social media and community, told Ad Age. “What started out as a funny ‘what-if’ during a creative meeting turned into a ‘let’s go’ Slack. We like to move fast and try new things here at Away.” Speed was particularly critical on this project, given the heat of the moment. A post the following week wouldn’t have had the same impact—it had to happen over the weekend. Also, they needed to get ahead of a storm that was heading into the New York area. “Partaking in a cultural conversation where our audience is involved is paramount to Away’s social media strategy, and the content felt ownable and entertaining, so we knew we had to act,” Chen said. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here The biggest challenge, it turned out, was finding a pair of briefs to fit the luggage—which was Away’s signature Bigger Carry-On model. “We hustled around New York City trying to find Calvin Klein underwear that would fit,” said Chen. “When that didn’t work, we overnighted a few pairs of XXL boxers. They arrived at 4 a.m. [on Saturday]—my earliest call time to date!” With briefs in hand, the team found a rooftop location to shoot. “Luckily we are a New York City-based brand—graciously giving us the opportunity to shoot on the same skyline as the Calvin Klein shoot,” Chen said. “We had to race against time before the impending snow made its way in.” @away Replying to @Summer Davis ♬ original sound - Matthew Friend The photos posted to Away’s Instagram early Saturday, a little less than 24 hours after the team had the initial idea. Chen said the whole project reflected Away’s social strategy of moving as quickly as culture while staying true to the brand’s ethos. “Everything we do at Away is rooted in the idea of having a two-way conversation with our community,” she said. “Our platforms are a way for us to express our brand identity, showcase our personality and have fun. There is a really delicate balance between planning content in advance and leaving room to read and react to a trend or cultural moment. Anything we do needs to have a purpose and feel ownable—not just add to the chatter.” Asked about general lessons for marketers, Chen said: “Encourage a bias for action and eliminate the barriers that slow your social and marketing teams down. Social should be considered, but not precious—your brand is constantly evolving and never finite. Find ways to connect with your community, and grow your channels—there comes a point when you need to stop planning and start doing, and just be comfortable with diving into the unknown.” In the case of the CK spoof, she added, “all the pieces fit into place at the right time—down to the washboard abs on our suitcases!” Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here

Away spoofs Jeremy Allen White’s CK ads—inside the 24-hour turnaround

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