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BB 03: Casting 101, leaving room for magic
An industry guide to casting with Calvin Klein's Global Social Creative Martin Diegor
Schema Agency & Coco Quizon
February 21, 2024
Leveraging influential personalities in marketing campaigns is not new. Brands have used notable people as ambassadors for almost as long as brands have existed. And, while the reward for investing in celebrity or influencer partnerships can be great, the risks can be just as significant. For smaller, upcoming brands, looking towards executions of giants could feel like a moot exercise, but looking at their successes and failures will provide valuable insight into the way brands and brand marketers can integrate talent into the marketing funnel to effectively build the brand and meet business goals. This week, we speak to Calvin Klein’s Manager for Global Social Creative, Martin Diegor, to share some insights based on his work with Calvin Klein and the industry at large.
The Brief of The Brief
Patti Hansen for Calvin Klein Jeans by Calvin Klein’s in-house photographer, Charles Tracey (1978)
ultural moments like this, Calvin Klein has successfully built its brand by strategically using talent, often creating controversial and memorable placements that define an era, and positioning its products as the sexier cuts of classic garments for the everyday person who has somewhere to be, which is a spirit that is quintessentially New York. Starting from the first Calvin Klein Jeans billboard featuring a test shoot with Patti Hansen to the launch of Underwear ads shot by Bruce Weber, followed by the popular Marky Mark TV spots, and finally, the iconic five-story billboard on the northwest corner of Houston and Lafayette, Calvin Klein has not only made its brand worth talking about but also provided a platform for its talents to solidify their star status.
Creating icons – the first advertisement for Calvin Klein’s genderless fragrance cK One launched stars like Jenny Shimizu and cemented Kate Moss as the antithesis to the supermodel look of the time. A quick Google search of “Where is the Calvin Klein” autocompletes to “billboard NYC” even more quickly than “store near me”, reinforcing its status as part of the New York landscape.
The Art of Picking the Right Person
It’s more than their numbers, pick the person who can drive the conversation
When considering the integration of influencers or celebrities as talent, it is essential to prioritize the marketing moment you want your brand to achieve. You need to find the personality who can help create that moment and help you achieve your marketing objectives, such as addressing product churn, building new audiences, capitalizing on culture, and many others.
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Jeremy Allen-White’s inclusion in Calvin Klein’s newest campaign is an exercise in finding the right talent who bridges TV fame and digital appeal to deliver a campaign that generates conversation. JAW is always pictured in the everyday man cool look, and it was ripe for Calvin Klein to take.
Buzz-worthy names may not always be a brand fit
Casting influencers or celebrities as your brand’s talent is often a flex for a small brand, signalling the brand’s increasing popularity that could use an added exposure push that tips the scales and makes the brand a household name. But if the biggest news from the execution is that the personality is the new face and the conversation has nowhere to go from there, it might be worth reconsidering the investment, either minimizing the engagement or doing away with it entirely. Not every execution is indeed meant to make a sale but in the age of the attention economy, conversation is currency and the longer your brand is talked about the better it will do.
Black trans model Jari Jones fronts Calvin Klein’s pride campaign in 2020, generating headlines for Calvin Klein, and reinforcing Calvin Klein’s brand spirit of sensuality and comfort for anyone.
The brand always comes first
It’s important to remember, especially as your brand grows and begins to have access to more and more talent, it becomes easier to lose sight of objectives in place for noise. To maximize impact, a rule of thumb is what person fits the product versus selecting the product for the personality. For example, the underwear category and the stripped-down way Calvin Klein presents it can be confronting for many personalities, and there has to be a level of comfort and readiness in whoever is cast to create the imagery and the vibe that Calvin Klein intends to land.
At the end of the day, your brand is the star. Cast personalities that will be able to reveal something new about the product or showcase another side of the brand that stretches the identity to a new audience. Martin adds, “What you share from your brand with anyone you cast should always be true to the person, as well.”
Calvin Klein’s partnership with Blackpink’s Jennie plays on the star’s everyday style presented in the sexy, confidence of Calvin Klein. Shot by Hong Jang Hyun for Calvin Klein, the shoot successfully blends Calvin Klein’s signature stripped-back creative direction with the aesthetic of Korean style.
Finally, you will never really know, so leave some room for magic
But like every brand, there will be hits as well as some misses. Brand marketing is not an exact science, and even if you follow the industry standard best practices, there is no guarantee that your execution will lead to the desired reaction or sales outcome. While it is important to consider various factors when crafting any marketing campaign, brands should always be in full control, knowing when to participate in trendy conversations and when to pull back or remove material that may not align with the brand's message. You should plan for every scenario as best as you can to achieve your business goals but also leave room for magic. Be flexible and adaptable to make necessary adjustments.
