Social first
Fruit of the Loom’s internal marketers worked closely on the campaign with agency GSD&M, which won creative and media AOR duties in late 2021. For nearly a decade prior, the account was on Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s roster.
GSD&M debuted the brand on TikTok in spring 2022 and drove notable traffic with cornucopia-themed posts. (Ad nerd trivia: The cornucopia was never part of the brand’s logo, but many people think it was, per the Mandela effect).
The early seeding laid the foundation for the fruit people reintroduction, according to Jess Zalaznick, creative director.
“They are a unique blend of beloved and distinctive, plus they provide narrative flexibility that allows Fruit of the Loom to participate and interact in pop culture and trends,” Zalaznick told Adweek.
The work intends to tap into TikTok’s “rhythms and fast-breaking trends” with content that “feels inherent to what audiences want to engage with in that space,” Zalaznick said.
Creative for the launch has focused on the relatable return to work, along with the characters’ interests in makeup tutorials, dance challenges and food reviews.
The actors “brought their own charm to the production” and flexed their improv skills, Zalaznick said. “Our cast is made up of actors who are social influencers in their own right, and they were able to build upon the trends we outlined in each script.”
Treasured past
Fruit of the Loom follows a number of brands that have dusted off characters from the past and remolded them for contemporary consumers. McDonald’s resurrected Grimace and the Hamburglar, while Quiznos brought back the divisive Spongmonkeys, to name a high-profile few.
The former fruit guys, a musically-inclined crew with physical comedy chops, were once included on Adweek’s list of “top 10 ads with people dressed up as food.”