Michael Jordon and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Spokesmen for Hanes Campaign

In 2005 Hanes company launched their “Look who we got our Hanes on now” advertising campaign a play off their 1990’s campaign “Just wait'll we get our Hanes on you." The new campaign featured celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Marisa Tomei, Damon Wayans, Matthew Perry, and Cuba Gooding Jr. In 2007 a series of commercial featuring Michael Jordan and Cuba Gooding Jr. show Cuba humorously idealizing Michael while interacting with a Hanes’ product.

The culture that Cuba Gooding Jr. has and which Hanes capitalizes on is his charisma and great sense of humor. Cuba is often portrayed in movies as the cute, fun, flamboyant, humorous main character.

The culture that Michael Jordan brings with him is sport's most iconic athlete. Michael is seen as a dominator and champion in sports. He is equated to the Babe Ruth of basketball, he also played baseball for a short stint, and that champion image carries across to movies he has done. Michael has been portrayed in several movies as the hero and savior, a role model if you will.

Consumers know the Hanes brand really well and the idea of using celebrities consumers may not expect to see endorsing Hanes is meant to convey that the Hanes name can be found on apparel that is more stylish, colorful and comfortable than they may expect.

The culture these two bring is transferred into Hanes product through their interaction with the product in the commercial. For example, in one commercial (three altogether which have the same transfer concept) Cuba receives ComfortSoft waistband underwear in a gift basket from Michael. Cuba puts on the underwear and runs out to tell Michael how much he enjoys them. As he exist the dressing room he sees Michael signing autographs and yells out “I’m wearing your underwear!” Michael looks shocked while an embarrassed Cuba looks at Michael and the stunned fans. These commercials are directed at male and Cuba and Michael help position Hanes as superior, comfort, and affordable style.

In this commercial is it obvious that Michael is seen as a dominate role model to the famous actor, Cuba. By Michael giving Cuba a set of Hanes underwear it establishes that the product is fit enough to be worn and given as a gift by such an iconic champion that the product must definitely have some value to it. The viewer is supposed to visualize himself as Cuba in the commercial. Everyone wants to be the good looking fun, charismatic guy. Michael giving the underwear