I came across this Marc Jacobs ad in a posh and trendy fashion mag the other day and felt compelled to comment. I mean, seriously, what’s going on here? Is ugly the new edgy? Does anyone – at Marc Jabobs, or anywhere else, think that this image of a puny, scruffy, not-at-all-attractive dude in a pair of tighty whities is going to inspire anything but a quick turn of the page?
At the risk of making a sweeping generalization, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that men in tighty whities are a turnoff. I believe I speak for all humanity on this issue. Or at least I speak for women of all ages and pretty much for the gay community at large. Fine. Wear them if you must, but don’t subject any of us to the sight of you in them. Ever.
Especially not when there are so many choices. Comfy and chic boxer briefs. The always highly recommended traditional boxer. Sleek and sexy trou like those sported by Dustin “Duke” Dlouhy for Glamour. Those make for nice, emmmm, browsing.
Surely you get my point. The Duke might not be your style when it comes to potential dating material, but there is no question he is rocking those skivvies.
Conversely, the image used by Marc Jacobs to sell what is no doubt a great leather jacket – just doesn’t work for me. Ugly is not edgy. Ugly does not capture my attention. Ugly does not make me momentarily want to run away to Fiji with one of those hot hunka lunkas – if only for a week (moment). And, most importantly, ugly does not make me want to purchase. And isn’t that the whole point?
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”
