What To Wear Under There

The market for women’s intimate apparel is incredibly competitive. A spectrum of players range from cultural juggernauts like Victoria’s Secret to next generation online newcomers like ThirdLove, Journelle, and even Amazon. In this context, even a large scale brand house like Hanesbrands needs every advantage it can muster.

In exhaustive consumer research of the intimate apparel industry, a central theme that emerges is women's ongoing frustration and confusion as to exactly how individual products benefit them, regardless of the category.

This, combined with associated realities like the rise of the shape wear category as one of the industry's fastest growing segments and the fact that 70-80% of women wear the wrong sized bra, exposed the need for improvement in the way that Hanesbrands spoke to its consumers.

The Design Office of John Murph noticed a common mistake make by intimate apparel marketers: they often approach consumers from the wrong direction. When they're not focused on a more simplistic "sex appeal" message (vis-à-vis Victoria's Secret) most brands lead with an itemization of specific features and benefits delivered straight from marketing spreadsheets. The language used often fails to connect with their target audience.

The actual intimates shopper is typically approaching the equation from a completely different direction. In many cases, she is starting with a particular outer outfit or ensemble in mind. Her objective is to decide which bra or shape wear will best supplement that outfit. Or, her thought process works in the reverse direction: what type of outfits will this product help me with? Either way, her consideration is linked with the outer ensemble. As a layperson not versed in the feature/benefit language of marketers, she becomes frustrated and confused on how they apply to her central quest.

Our strategy was to be more direct in associating specific products with corresponding outfits. Instead of focusing on abstract benefits, a more effective approach seemed to be naming a particular outer ensemble or occasion and linking it with a product.

In an organic process that enlisted John Murph in crafting a story around Hanesbrands’ primary shapewear brands (Maidenform and Bali), a conceptual vehicle emerged around the moniker “What To Wear Under There.”

This playful phrase was leveraged as a mantra that enabled Hanesbrands to move past the “sexy for him” pretensions of other market players. Instead, it provided a platform for educating consumers more interested in practical advice and direction on how to pair a specific product’s features and benefits with their own outer wardrobe. Literally, the “What To Wear Under There” theme resolves a woman’s confusion about what bra to wear with which outfit. What shapewear should she wear under that pair of pants?

The concept was articulated in a brief overture statement: "Ever wondered what to pair with your ready-to-wear? Now, Hanesbrands offers insider info on the most intimate questions about what should be the first layer under any look in your closet. Just scan for the "What To Wear Under There" sign for clues as to how to to answer any ensemble, whether a casual tee or your most daring dress." This was distilled into a primary tagline: "An Intimates Answer for Every Ensemble in Your Arsenal."

At retail, this translated to concepts that offered a behind-the-scenes reveal for women trying to navigate the intimates department. Mannequins could be dressed in split ensembles, with the outer outfit literally spit down the middle and half removed to reveal underlying intimates. Hanging packaging would pair specific intimates with associated outerwear specific to different occasions. Display fixtures could leverage cross-category associations, with intimate products presented alongside corresponding outer clothing, all at her fingertips.

In addition to being conceived as being integrated into packaging and display designs, this concept was illustrated as a potential interactive kiosk. Consumers would interface with a touchscreen that invited them to query different outfit combinations to get recommendations on appropriate intimates solutions. All of this was positioned under the "What To Wear Under There" mantra.

With the "What To Wear Under There" campaign, Hanesbrands had a messaging vehicle that more closely resonated with how their consumers thought. It was integrated into both Maidenform and Bali, with their bra and shapewear collection packaging.