Fashion branding: Sloggi better than Jockey in the underwear war, so far

Fashion branding news: Quite a few websites in the US have echoed BrandWeek’s article about underwear maker Jockey’s new initiatives online. For the moment, I find the first site (Stop Squirming) pretty boring, especially compared to cheeky sites such as Sloggi’s "Show me your Sloggi".
Are the approaches to online underwear marketing different because targets in Europe and in the US react differently to (partial) nudity?

StopSquirming, not as fun as tongue-in-cheek ShaveAnywhere

American underwear brand Jockey is increasing its online marketing budget, from 6% to 20% of its overall marketing spend. The brand is going after teenagers and young adults, with websites that are both funny (see people squirm in their underwear) and viral (you send videos tand e-cards to your friends). The sites also rely on user-generated content, as users can upload videos of their showing secret squirming moves or videos of their dancing in their underwear.

I have visited the first site that Jockey has put online, Stop Squirming. Where is the fun?
Jockey is a brand that sells underwear, but they show fully clothed people "squirming". No underwear in sight. Obviously, it is very proper, but how boring! The obvious model to this campaign was the funny and commercially successful ShaveEverywhere.com, a site for the BodyGroom shaver.

Another site will be up in a month, Jockey Underwars, where people will try to outdance each other in their underwear. Let’s hope for more fun. (Article continues after the distracting pictures below).

Compare and Contrast: Squirming vs. Beautiful Bum

Too safe, but just right for a first?

Jockey is promoting the sites through videos posted on sites such as YouTube and MySpace. The marketers behing the sites obviously know that playing too safe will decrease the impact. But I guess that it is good for a first try that should validate the use of viral marketing for this brand. We may get more risqué campaings later.

"It is vigorously screening video submissions to make sure they are all PG-13. All touch points are trying to stay good, clean fun," he said. "It’s a tough choice to make. We’d like to think the consumer is in control, but we have a brand image to protect." Source: BrandWeek

Show me your Sloggi (and not just that)

Now, let’s contrast this with a campaign going on in more than 15 countries, initiated by Sloggi, an undersear brand belonging to Swiss-based Triumph. On the Show me your Sloggi site, the campaign is far more racy. (Some pictures are not office-safe, watch out!). Here is what you can read on its homepage:

"Join us in our search for the worlds most beautiful bum! Everyone from around the world can participate - just upload a picture of your bum for everyone to see and vote for! Whether you are wearing sloggi’s or not. It’s your best asset that counts!! "

Here, the promise is clear: you shall see "beautiful bums". In a way, it may be too much: the competition is not about underwear, but about derrières, and you do not even have to wear the brand. But the viral potential is thus maximum: anyone can particapte and audience is almost guaranteed. All is not lost on fashion branding, though, as the winner of the competition will be next year’s Sloggi underwear model.

Between Stop Squirming and Show me your Sloggi, I wonder where Jockey’s target, young males, will get more viral. And you?

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