Brand Values:

Bonobos is a menswear company committed to helping you find your perfect fit. That’s why they have more size and fit combinations than any of their competitors. But for Bonobos, finding your fit means more than the clothes you wear. It’s about creating a better world where every person can find their fit. In 2018 it became clear that a menswear brand with a fit mission has a responsibility. If we were going to be innovative in the way we create clothes that fit, we also needed to be progressive in the way we create a better-fitting world by addressing gender stereotypes, specifically about men. When we recognized that the current definition of “masculine’ was outdated and limiting, we saw the opportunity to raise our voice and do something to change the way we look at the male gender, and subsequently all genders.

Brief:

• Give meaning and differentiation to the Bonobos fit story, while broadening our homogenous customer base.

Objectives:

• Drive increased awareness of Bonobos as a purpose-driven brand.

• Generate conversation around Bonobos unique perspective on fit and how it relates to more than the traditional stereotype of a man.

Coming out of the #MeToo movement that started in the United States in late 2017, toxic masculinity has become an increasingly important topic. Newspapers, publications, and blogs talk about how the traditional idea of masculinity is negatively affecting women and men today, as well as generations to come. Experts point out that only celebrating one kind of masculinity (big, strong, aggressive and powerful) put men in a box, leading to self-destructive and sometimes violent results. The fact that boys are growing up with the uncompromising advice, to “man up” or “be a man,” causes them to bottle up feelings, not show vulnerability, and feel like they don’t fit.

Still, most brands are afraid to champion people that break the mold of traditional gender stereotypes. It’s understandable. On YouTube and social media, trolls come out in droves, belittling anyone that dares to upend their views on traditional masculinity.

Google “masculine.” The definition is antiquated, limiting, and antithetical to the Bonobos fit mission. #EvolveTheDefinition is a short documentary and microsite that interviews real people to examine today’s definition of “masculine.” We started by asking 172 individuals (representing the 172 Bonobos size and fit combinations) to read the current definition and synonyms. With a focus on people that self-identified as “masculine,” these individuals came from a diverse background, spanning every age, body type, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Their authentic reactions were captured on camera, ranging from shock to anger. We then asked them to discuss what masculine means to them, resulting in a commentary that questions the limitations and dangers of the rigid definition. The film ends on a positive note, inviting people to collectively use the hashtag, #EvolveTheDefinition, to help create a more inclusive future that isn’t limited by gender stereotypes. A world where every person fits.

Our target, the “Engaged Man,” is a man in his early thirties with household income $75K+ who is career-oriented and loves engaging in social or political dialogue. He has his own opinions to share on everything from fashion to fantasy sports!

To position Bonobos as the brand that stood up to traditional (and outdated) notions of masculinity, we knew Bonobos’ message had to stand out in a sea of car and beer ads, so ESPN’s ESPY Awards – the most-watched summer sports entertainment event for this demo - was the right place to premiere the ad.

Knowing our target is always multi-screening, our mix included TV and mobile with social media amplification. And since he looks to the opinions of people he respects like athletes- promoted posts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube would also need to be part of the mix to stir the pot on the national conversation.

• #EvolveTheDefinition launched on ESPN.com with teaser ads leading up to Bonobos’ brand sponsorship of the ESPY Awards Show. On the day of the ESPY Awards (7/18/18), the campaign took-over YouTube's homepage (409MM Impressions) while #EvolvetheDefinition was the Promoted Trend featured on Twitter’s Homepage (56MM Impressions).

• The 90-second documentary premiered during the ESPY Awards at 8:17 pm EST, taking over half of the first commercial break, followed by subsequent airings throughout the show.

• We worked with two NBA Athlete-Influencers (Chris Bosh and DeAndre Jordan) to post their personalized viewpoints on #EvolveTheDefinition via social videos.

• To add reach and frequency of our message, we extended the campaign with YouTube TrueView ads (11.7MM Impressions), plus posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter through the rest of the month and on ESPN through August for a total of 391 on-air showings.

The campaign surpassed KPIs and drove incredible response. From an awareness perspective, the campaign drove 31% relative lift in Bonobos brand awareness, according to a Google Brand Study. Additionally, the Bonobos brand tracking firm found that of those who saw the #EvolveTheDefinition campaign, 83% felt more favorable toward Bonobos. (Source: Morning Consult).

• 10MM+ YouTube views in 24hrs

• Winner of the #TheYouTubeAd That Rewrites the Rules! (Source: YouTube, The Webbys).

• 400K+ microsite visits

• Total Bonobos.com sessions beat the daily average by more than 50%

• Unpaid “Bonobos” search reached its highest peak of 2018

• #1 most social program on ESPN digital

• 56MM+ trending twitter impressions

• Earned positive social response from key influencers, including Reese Witherspoon, Mark Cuban, and Michael Ian Black

• 3.61% lift in purchase consideration (Source: C8 Influencers Brand Study)

• 17.4% lift in sales

• 7.5% lift in retail foot traffic