For years, shapewear has largely been associated with women’s wardrobes, while men have often approached the category with hesitation or stigma. XYXX is attempting to change that perception with its latest campaign, using comedy and everyday male behaviour to make the conversation around men’s shapewear more relatable.
The men’s innerwear and lifestyle brand has partnered with content studio 145 East for an episodic comedy-led series that explores the often-unspoken ways men behave when they become conscious about their bodies and appearance.
Rather than beginning with a conventional product pitch, the campaign puts these behaviours at the centre of its storytelling.
The campaign draws from familiar situations, men pulling their shirts away from their stomachs, repeatedly adjusting their clothes, worrying about how they appear on camera or attempting to hide certain parts of their bodies.
These behaviours, often performed almost subconsciously, become exaggerated scenarios in the campaign, allowing XYXX to approach a potentially uncomfortable category through humour.
The first episode, ‘The Bangla Baddies’, follows a man who, even after being kidnapped, remains more concerned about how he looks than the situation itself. The episode has crossed 125,000 views since its release.
The second episode, ‘The Shirt Puller’, takes another recognisable behaviour and builds an entire story around it. The protagonist repeatedly pulls his shirt away from his body at work, during arguments and even when there is no obvious reason to do so.
XYXX Sculpt is introduced within these situations as the solution, helping the character move away from constantly adjusting his clothes and feel more comfortable in them.
The campaign’s larger objective is to make men’s shapewear less intimidating by first making the behaviour around body consciousness familiar.
Instead of presenting shapewear as a corrective product, XYXX is attempting to position it as a contemporary wardrobe essential that can support comfort and confidence.
Link to the Ep 1:
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Link to the Ep 2:
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Commenting on the launch of this episodic series collaboration, Petal Gangurde, Chief of Brand & Culture, XYXX says, “We wanted to approach men’s shapewear without making it feel like a category men need to be embarrassed about or explain. The insight came from looking at real-life situations that bring out the most bizarre behaviour in men when they feel conscious about their bodies, and asking what happens when we simply turn that behaviour into comedy. With this series, we’re trying to destigmatise and demystify shapewear for men by making the conversation familiar first. If you can laugh at the behaviour, you can start talking about the category – and that is where adoption begins.”
