Know-How: B2C | Brand Copywriting | Brand Marketing | Copyediting & Proofreading | Creative Direction | Research
The core motivation behind American Giant (AG) is longevity. AG uses homegrown, top-notch materials to make stylish casual wear that will outlive and outshine fast-fashion trends.
The music I selected for this project is from “Kind of Blue”—another enduring American classic. Like AG, jazz was born in the United States, and six decades after its release, Miles Davis’s 1959 masterpiece is still the best-selling jazz album of all time.
Just a Peek
Original ad copy for a personal project I created for one of my favorite apparel brands—American Giant—a company that broke industry rules, created their own playbook, and elevated a closet staple.
Uncovering Inspiration
“The Man in the Hathaway Shirt” was one of the inspirations for this self-initiated project. The quintessential David Ogilvy ad (even older than “Kind of Blue”) that made him famous is a masterclass in how to craft and sculpt language to titillate the senses.
The second inspiration came from the AG apparel in my closet. I scoffed at the media clamoring over a hoodie with a $100 price tag in 2012. When I bought their clothing years later, felt the heft of the material, and saw its meticulous stitching, I understood the hype.
In the Mood
Like Ogilvy’s infamous Hathaway campaign, I set out to use palpable language so consumers could practically feel the clothing under their fingertips as they read the ad.
I chose pictures that emphasized touch and texture, like the field of fluffy cotton plants American Giant grows to produce and manufacture their apparel, a hard metal zipper, the soft fleece that lines AG’s hoodies and jackets, and a billow of hot steam from the factory floor where workers assemble the merchandise.
Bare Essentials
American Giant is celebrated for many things, so I decided to focus on a handful of attributes to create persuasive ad copy around a US-based clothing brand committed to unparalleled quality, less waste, and boosting local economies.
Vivid language
Endurance
Values
Domestic
Meticulous craft
High-end closet staples
Fleshed Out
I was initially weary of the frantic press around a mundane piece of clothing, so I approached this ad from the vantage point of the skeptic.
I also wanted to imbue the copy with American Giant’s values to help dissolve the typical consumer objections. Below are my handwritten sketches and notes.
American Giant: “The Greatest Hoodie in the World”
At American Giant, our hoodie features a classic silhouette with a modern, tailored fit to titillate your senses, yet sturdy enough to withstand a hard day’s work.
Our heavyweight cotton is homegrown, spun, and knitted in U.S. factories by American workers. The cotton is then meticulously stitched with love by seamstresses in California and North Carolina. Textile engineers spend 60 minutes constructing each item to perfection, adding details like double threading for a professional finish, cuffs that stretch to cradle your wrists, and chevron elbow patches that shield the backs of your forearms from the wear and tear of physical activity.
The result of our painstaking efforts? A garment that looks feels, and performs like no other on the planet.
At AG, our clothes adjust to you, not the other way around. That’s why we never skimp on material. Each sweatshirt is crafted from fleece to provide a layer of insulation, so you stay nice and toasty as you tackle your to-do list. Whether you’re battling the chill on your winter morning run, powering through meetings in your home office, or raring up for an evening snuggle with your honey, our hoodies will wrap you up in a warm hug.
The materials we use and the time we pour into designing our garments guarantee that our clothes will brave the ravages of repeat washing. Like a fine wine, our hoodies are status symbols that improve over the long term and soften with each wash to give you a more lived-in feel over time.
At American Giant, we turn our noses up at flashy branding and owning real estate in hundreds of retail stores across the country. Our mission is to put impeccably tailored clothing directly into your hands. We’re also dedicated to supporting local economies at home, not exploiting workers via overseas manufacturing.
Because we care about more than just comfort.
We care about integrity.
We care about standing up for what we believe in.
We care about breaking industry rules, creating our own playbook, and elevating a closet staple.
And we care about delivering you the best hoodie that the world has ever seen.
The Naked Truth
Brianne Carlon Rush, VP of Operations, Kuno Creative
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