Hanes: Mom-isms
Advertising/Shopper Marketing Campaign______________________________________
Concept, Creative Direction, Copywriting, Client Presentation by Ted Johnston
Concept, Creative Direction, Copywriting, Client Presentation by Ted Johnston
The Problem
Hanes wanted to reconnect with family audiences in a crowded essentials category by turning a familiar piece of parental wisdom into a humorous, relatable campaign platform.
The Solution
• Created Mom-isms, a retro-inspired campaign built around the classic warning: “Wear clean underwear. You never know when you’ll be in an accident.”
• Developed a series of exaggerated 1950s-style commercials featuring an aggressively overprotective mother and her increasingly traumatized family
• Used humor and nostalgic storytelling to modernize a traditional shopper marketing message
• Extended campaign messaging across broadcast, retail, and digital channels
The Result
• Generated unexpectedly strong audience engagement through humor-driven storytelling• Increased brand memorability by turning a familiar parental phrase into a repeatable campaign platform• Expanded social sharing and shopper engagement through short-form comedic content
The Impact
Positioned Hanes as a more culturally relevant and personality-driven brand by transforming everyday family behavior into an entertaining multi-channel campaign platform.
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1950’s-style Narrator over homey, domestic music...
Childhood shapes our lives, for better or worse. And Mom’s wisdom will always be there to keep us in line. Or, at least, to shame us into remembering her words.
Commercials
1950’s-style Narrator over homey, domestic music...
Childhood shapes our lives, for better or worse. And Mom’s wisdom will always be there to keep us in line. Or, at least, to shame us into remembering her words.
A quiet family kitchen late at night, and all is calm. A yawning teenage boy opens the fridge to grab a snack.
“Wear clean underwear!” Mom jump-scares the bug-eyed kid, who grabs his thumping chest.
Milk jug falls. Cat screams.
“You never know when you’ll be in an accident,” says Mom, smiling at the camera.
“Wear clean underwear!” Mom jump-scares the bug-eyed kid, who grabs his thumping chest.
Milk jug falls. Cat screams.
“You never know when you’ll be in an accident,” says Mom, smiling at the camera.
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In the garage, Dad is under the car, changing the oil.
“Wear clean underwear!” Clank! goes Dad’s head.
Tools fall. Cat screams.
“You never know when you’ll be in an accident,” smiles Mom, shaking her head.
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A lazy afternoon in the family living room, and a young girl is napping on the couch.
“Wear clean underwear!”
The girl pops off the couch like a fish in a boat, landing with a thud on the floor.
Glass breaks. Cat screams.
“You never know when you’ll be in accident,” laughs Mom, totally unconcerned.