Hanes, the basics brand with more than 125 years of history, has shifted its creative direction with a bold marketing campaign called 'Get Comfortable.' The message: whatever awkward situation you find yourself in, wearing Hanes keeps you unshakeable.
The scenes are specific and deliberately uncomfortable — a man having his pants pulled down as a bar prank, a woman grocery shopping in only her underwear, a couple in bed wearing nothing but Hanes socks. Out-of-home ads push the tone further, including one closeup of a woman in red Hanes underwear captioned 'Très Cheek.' The creative comes from New York agency Special U.S., appointed as Hanes' agency of record in 2024, led by executive creative directors Kasia Canning and Estefanio Holtz, with director Nick Ball shooting the videos on film. The campaign runs across social media, online video, retail displays, display advertising, and out-of-home placements in New York City transit stations, with a national rollout planned.
The context matters. The campaign follows HanesBrands' acquisition by Gildan Activewear for $2.2 billion in late 2025, and Hanes unveiled a refreshed logo — a red flag icon floating above the wordmark — alongside the new creative direction. In other words, this bold tonal shift is part of a broader brand identity reset following the acquisition.
A basics brand that built its identity on being unremarkable is now using a change in ownership as the moment to reset its creative tone entirely — proof that even low-involvement categories can generate real attention with the right timing. The takeaway isn't the shock value itself, but the structure: pairing a business-level change (acquisition, logo refresh) with a deliberate tonal reset for the brand's creative. To rethink your brand's creative strategy around a similar inflection point, explore Best Partner's services or browse our portfolio.
A bold creative campaign built around embarrassing, awkward situations, with the message that wearing Hanes keeps you confident regardless. It was created by New York agency Special U.S.
The campaign follows HanesBrands' $2.2 billion acquisition by Gildan Activewear in late 2025, and coincides with a logo refresh featuring a red flag icon — both part of a broader brand identity reset.
Across social media, online video, retail displays, display advertising, and out-of-home ads in New York City transit stations, with a national rollout planned.
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