#EvolveTheDefinition is a short documentary that uses the voices of real people to examine today’s outdated definition of “masculine.” Instead of creating a product-focused ad, we created a film with a purpose that people could seek out and share. There’s no mention of product and the only brand logo comes at the end. Due to our timely topic and disruptive approach, the content became part of the culture, sparking conversations about the toxic limitations of the definition of masculine. Even though there is no mention of clothes, viewers wound up seeking out the brand, connecting over a shared purpose.

Situation:

Bonobos is a menswear brand, committed to helping you find your perfect fit. Despite Bonobos having an unprecedented number of size and fit combinations (172), the fit message was lost in a crowded market, meaning Bonobos suffered from lack of awareness and differentiation.

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.

Google “masculine.” The definition you’ll see is antiquated, limiting, and dangerous. It is also antithetical to the Bonobos belief that every person deserves to fit. #EvolveTheDefinition is a short documentary that uses the voices of real people to examine that outdated definition of “masculine.” We started by asking 172 individuals (representing the 172 Bonobos size and fit combinations) to read the current definition and synonyms. Their authentic reactions were captured on camera, ranging from shock to anger. We then asked the individuals 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 where we invite 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.

Fit means so much more than the clothes you wear. Looking around it is clear that one of the greatest enemies of finding your fit in the world is toxic masculinity. Experts point out that only celebrating one kind of masculinity (big, strong, aggressive and powerful) puts 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. To truly be a company that champions fit, we had to take on this challenge head first. That’s why we cast people that reflected diversity in terms of body shape, age, race, belief, sexual orientation, and gender identity - showing that the definition of masculine can be so much broader than what you see today.

– #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.

Overall the campaign surpassed KPIs and drove an 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% feel more favorable of Bonobos. (Source: Morning Consult).

More results and metrics:

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

– Over 400,000 site visits to Bonobos as results of the campaign.

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

– Bonobos public relations secured 20+ positive press hits (and counting) and continues to land stories on #ETD and building purpose-driven brand.

– Google searches for “Bonobos” reached its highest peak during the ESPY Awards vs. the previous 12 months.

– Total sessions on the website beat the daily average by more than 50%.