Berlei celebrates launch of its new Womankind bra range with honest campaign via The Monkeys
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It’s time to be kind, is the statement Berlei makes in its latest campaign via The Monkeys, to introduce its new bra range, WOMANKIND.
The integrated campaign – including the naming of the bra, is the debut work of The Monkeys, who won the business back in June. The campaign highlights how women often have to accept that bras are either uncomfortable, unsupportive or something they must conform to.
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Says Barbara Humphries, creative director, The Monkeys: “The WOMANKIND campaign reveals all the frustrations women have endured over the years from bras. We wanted to tell this story with humour, empathy and bold honesty – three things the category has often been devoid of.”
The ads were directed by Kim Gehrig from Revolver, who aimed to be as real and authentic as possible about what boobs, and women, put up with. There is also social #boobtruth content that highlights the truth about wearing certain bras – that they are often painful, awkward, uncomfortable and sometimes, just downright funny.
Says Hayes: The Monkeys have truly landed the importance of this new launch and what it means for women’s every day experiences. It shines a light on the need for daily, ritualistic kindness in an irreverent, honest, charming and compelling way.”
Says Zoe Hayes, senior marketing manager, Berlei: “We wanted to launch into our next 100 years with our kindest bra yet. Every component of this new bra franchise has been challenged to ensure it makes women feel great.”
Client: Berlei
Senior Marketing Manager: Zoe Hayes
Division Manager: Holli Borchak
Assistant Brand Manager: Chontelle Clark
Creative Agency: The Monkeys
CCO/Founder: Justin Drape
Creative Director: Barbara Humphries
Creative team: Renee Bryant and Katyana O’Neill
Managing Director: Matt Michael
Group Content Director: Kelly Spence
Senior Content Manager: Lauren Shelley
Executive Planning Director: Fabio Buresti
Head of Planning: Michael Hogg
Planner: Charlotte Marshall
Head of Production: Thea Carone
Senior Broadcast Producer: Penny Brown
Print Producer: Sally Lankshear
Production Company: Revolver/ Will O’Rourke & Somesuch UK
Director: Kim Gehrig
Executive Producers – Michael Ritchie, Pip Smart & Seth Wilson
Producer: Anna Mannix & Jacob Swan-Hyam
DOP – Ari Wegner
Editor – Elise Butt, Trim London
Post Production – Fin Design & Effects
Colourist – Ben Eagleton
Music Supervision – Karl Richter, Level Two Music
Sound Design – Simon Kane, Song Zu
Sound House Producer – Katrina Aquilla
PR: The Mint Partners
Media: OMD
28 Comments
Finally, an female CD and an female creative team assigned to a brief talking to women about women’s bodies. Well done, Monkeys.
I sort of missed what they are selling. Not the best work to come out of the Monkeys. A little cliche and stuck between let’s put a mixed bag together and be safe, politically correct and gentle tackle the bra.
Disclosure: Male commentator
So, I’ve got this idea. It’s called “Diversity” Oh, and we’ll show how women tape themselves down, or up.
A question. How much work goes through each mid to large agency each year? Probably a lot, right? Out of all that work, how much of it makes a huge impact? The gold standard if you like. Around three projects? Five if you’re having a good year? While I wouldn’t say this will get on the news and scoop the global awards caper, it’s still a good ad. Not every project Monkeys or Clems do will be world beating and in the scheme of things, does any world class agency knock out number one hits on every project for every client?
Guilty of so much of this & felt the pain. Kudos monkeys, I’m actually considering buying from the brand now.
This is good.
This. Was. Great.
BRB going to buy a bra
@Tommy T it’s not about you, or for you, therefore you may struggle to understand it. But that’s OK because we chicks are loving it. And we buy bras. Shame for your other half (if you have one, that happens to be a chick) though. Empathy could be something that needs working on.
I’m a woman. I buy bras. This is truth spoken by women. For women.
Bras are bloody uncomfortable weapons of torture.
That looks like the most comfy bra in the world. I’m getting one this weekend.
And sorry boys if this is lost on you, but thats ok. Your point of view for once doesn’t matter. Well done chicks.
nice
@Tommy T – you missed what they were selling? You missed the product stuff at the end? it kicks in at .36s… take another look.
This is great.
Agencies and Clients take note – you’ve allowed a director to express themselves.
You’ve given them freedom and had faith in their ideas.
This is very solid work and not the least bit preachy or forced.
A strong vision will always win audiences over branding or ad talk.
nice
So are we judging the work because ladies created it? Or, because of the idea? Last time i checked the ‘comfy bra for all woman’ strategy has been done in almost all bra communications globally. Nothing new. Sorry Ladies but i must speak the truth, this is not a great example of a woman’s creative capabilities. Well hyped PR though.
strong
I thought this was a great spot. Bold, empathetic, lots of energy. Real. Sexy without being sexualised. I think it’ll have great cut-through, but that’s kind of yours to lose given the subject. Also doesn’t hurt for guys to see how much torture you girls put those bad boys through. Can’t remember the last time I taped my nipples down. Zouch. Anyway, this ad has my full support. And it sounds like it’s really hitting the mark with the target, which is the whole point. Now we just need a guys’ version for supportive undies. Berlei Homme. ‘We open on a helicopter…’
No. We are judging the work on how it makes us feel irrespective of whoever made it. Which is clearly that this is a comfy bra that we need. The insight that we put our girls through terrible things is strong and immediately relatable. Even if it’s not completely new. The execution is fun and in your face. And that’s all good stuff. Don’t overthink it or make it political. It’s just bloody advertising.
Does the binary attribution of who came up with this campaign really matter?
It’s amazing work regardless.
But by pointing this out, in the way you did, you’re perpetuating the issue.
It’s almost as if you’re saying a male team couldn’t have come up with this because it’s a female product so it requires a female mind.
But yet, when a male team does some beer work that’s how did you put it @YAY BOOBS? ah that’s right,
‘not about you, or for you, therefore you may struggle to understand it…
The 3% holler from the mountain top.
‘why wasn’t a female team tasked with the brief?’
‘would be great to know if a female team got this brief’
etc etc…
You should ask for a refund from that 3% seminar you probably just attended, cause it’s obviously all gone way over your head.
I love this spot!! So good!
I’m pretty sure that’s been Berlei’s positioning for 10+ years…
P.S. Loved this work. I’m wearing a really uncomfortable bra today so it really spoke ot me.
Couldn’t give a hoot who created this great ad and I didn’t mention it. ‘Almost’ even. I just found it amusing that Tommy T didn’t get the bra bit. Christ on a bike. Get a job. Or find one that makes you feel like less of a victim.
I’d really like to say that Clems Melbourne did a great job of taking the category generic ‘comfort’ underwear space and creating ‘the boys’ campaign for Bonds. A fresh approach to comfort.
I’m sure I’ll be shot down though because it’s ‘male’ based advertising. But whatever.
This Berli work is just holding a mirror up to ladies. Its demonstrating what they already know with with no real creative intelligence or freshness.
Sorry. I agree with previous comments. The comments here are more in support of female creativity than the work. We can do better.
What @Mel said. Hear hear.
Expressing a view.
Although I don’t wear a bra I have a strategic and creative view point. As no doubt many from differing genders may have of brands and products that target the opposing gender. Because I believe that is the job.
Ho hum to those sensitive types
Sometimes “holding a mirror up” is the right creative approach, particularly if what you see in that mirror has never been shown to you before. Here’s an example that was raved about in its time: https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/d105bb15970201.5629964dc9c97.jpg
Even so, I think this Berlei ad does more than that. By showing the myriad ways that women put their boobs through hell, it makes the point that there should be a better way – and then provides the solution.
In short, good ad. (And check out what Berlei has done in the past – it’s a big step forward.)
Love this. Yeah, obviously ‘comfort’ isn’t an entirely new positioning for underwear, but this spot is fresh, modern, and infinitely likeable. Bloody good
Love this. Yeah, obviously ‘comfort’ isn’t an entirely new positioning for underwear, but this spot is fresh, modern, and infinitely likeable. Bloody good
I find it interesting that no one has gone past the ‘mirror’ commentary to talk to what is truly fresh about this campaign – it parallels the oppression of women through the lens of boobs. Stellar work with layers. Done good Monkeys.
I AM DISGUSTED AT YOUR NEW ADD ON TELEVISION.
WILL NOT BUY ONE OFF YOUR PRODUCTS!!!!!!!!