Calvin Klein becomes a Belieber
Canadian superstar Justin Bieber is known for walking around in his underwear. Now he is getting paid for it. Calvin Klein announced Tuesday that the bad-boy singer is starring alongside Dutch model Lara Stone in its spring ad campaigns for the fashion house’s underwear and jeans lines.
Headless and shirtless teaser photos were released by Bieber on social-media on Tuesday afternoon. Fans quickly identified the tattooed torso. The official campaign with a social media focus was launched Wednesday. The seductive images were shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott; the videos were shot by Johan Renck.
The stealth announcement follows months of speculation about a partnership for the “Baby” and “Boyfriend” singer and the iconic brand. Calvin Klein released two images with Bieber’s face at 5 p.m. Tuesday with the with the hashtag #mycalvins. Bieber was ranked #1 most-tweeted-about artist for 2014.
The endorsement contract comes on the heels of a number of scandals for the 20-year-old singer, who was born in Stratford and exploded onto the music scene at the age of 15. The brand put forth a sunny spin on the announcement: “Justin joins a long list of musicians, models, celebrities and fashion icons that have been featured in our global advertising campaigns,” said Melisa Goldie, Chief Marketing Officer of Calvin Klein, Inc. “Justin’s global recognition, expressed affinity for the brand, and powerful persona bring a compelling energy to our jeans and underwear brands.”
For his part, Bieber issued a professional and predictably upbeat response to the brand’s vote of confidence on his fresh start for 2015: “Calvin Klein is such an iconic brand and I am excited and honoured to become a part of the Calvin Klein brand legacy with this campaign. I have been a longtime fan of the brand and have worn their jeans and underwear for a while, so this is kind of a dream come true,” said Bieber. “This is the beginning of an exciting new year for me, personally and professionally, and being a part of this campaign has been a fantastic opportunity and experience.”
Calvin Klein has been known for its provocative ad imagery. A gig as a Calvin Klein jeans or underwear spokesmodel has become a time-honoured path to both success and infamy. The 1980 Richard Avedon campaign featured a teenage Brooke Shields declaring, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” For Bieber, the high-profile gig might be an opportunity to improve his public relations optics.
Other notable personalities over the years have included a youthful Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg (back when he was Marky Mark). The brand has ramped up its association with musicians in the past year, dressing and supporting artists such as Taylor Swift, Drake, Kanye West and Harry Styles, along with Bieber’s mentor, Usher.
The Calvin Klein brand features women’s and menswear lines at various price points (the current womenswear creative director is Francisco Costa, who took over from its namesake founder in 2003), plus fragrance, home, swim, golf, hosiery, footwear, fragrances and eyewear. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp based in Manhattan, which also owns Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, Warner’s and Olga, plus a number of licensed brands including Speedo, Kenneth Cole, DKNY and John Varvatos.
Previous Calvin Klein spokesmodels include:
Brooke Shields 1980
Andie MacDowell 1983
Mark Wahlberg 1991
Kate Moss 1991
Scarlett Johansson 2006
Eva Mendes 2009
Alexander Skarsgard 2012
Zoe Saldana 2010
Diane Kruger 2010
Rooney Mara 2013
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