Cotton Incorporated and Opening Ceremony are celebrating the iconic cotton tee as a timeless medium for self-expression by creating “The Most Powerful Tee.” Bringing this idea to life is a special video developed by ad agency DDB and limited edition tee shirt, created by Cotton and Opening Ceremony and available for purchase at Opening Ceremony in New York at 33-35 Howard Street and online starting October 22, 2018, while supplies last. “Long before there were tweets, cotton tee shirts were the canvas of self-expression,” said Kim Kitchings, senior vice president, Consumer Marketing at Cotton Incorporated. “Before the anonymity offered by social media, people wore statements of their likes, dislikes and philosophies for all the world to see.
“The Most Powerful Tee” was created by ad agency DDB New York (NYSE: OMC) and features historical footage coupled with statements and images made more impactful by the cotton tee. The video is also intercut with footage of diverse urbanites in equally statement-making tee shirts, emphasizing the individuality and power a seemingly simple tee shirt with the right message can express. Non-traditional filming methods, including a variety of angles, a combination of 16mm film and digital footage, and 4:3 aspect ratio add to the uniqueness of the film and help showcase the unique personalities featured throughout. “While Cotton is a long-established brand, it has real, timeless relevance, just like the tee shirt,” said Cassandra Anderson, Creative Director at DDB New York said. “Our goal in the creation of the film and the accompanying campaign is to prove this to a new audience in a way that is authentic and reflective of how they naturally interact with brands and consume content.”
Tell us about your role in the creation of this work.
I was a Creative Director on this campaign.
Give us an overview of the campaign, what is it about?
People don’t necessarily think of Cotton when they think of modern icons. But the truth is, the classic cotton statement tee is even more relevant than ever, and we wanted to celebrate its ongoing impact in culture.
Tell us about the details creative brief, what did it ask?
This was one of those great moments when the idea didn’t really come from a traditional brief. We knew we had a powerful insight that would resonate, especially with a young, passionate audience that lives for self-expression. As soon as we discussed it with Cotton, they agreed we had to act on it.
Which insight led to the creation of this piece of work?
The cotton t-shirt has always been a canvas for self-expression. It remains so even in the era of social media because, with a t-shirt, there is no anonymity. You immediately connect a point of view with a real person. And that’s powerful.
Can you share with us any alternative ideas (if any) for this campaign? Why was this idea chosen?
We explored several different executions to express this insight, but when we had equal passion and enthusiasm for “The Most Powerful Tee” from partners like Opening Ceremony and HypeBeast we all knew this was the way to go.
What was the greatest challenge that you and your team faced during development.
I think our greatest challenge was keeping the focus on t-shirts as a platform and not on the specific messages they displayed. We wanted to showcase the power of the cotton t-shirt as even bigger than any statement or point of view.
What did you enjoy most about seeing this campaign through? Did you learn anything new from the experience?
This project was fueled by insight, passion and collaboration - and that was inspiring. We learned that if an idea is strong enough and you stay true to its essence, lots of different creative partners can play roles in bringing it it to life. We got to embrace the dynamic nature of the creative process and watch the magic unfold.
Where do you see this campaign going in the future?
We see “The Most Powerful Tee” as part of an ongoing conversation with consumers about the timeless relevance and emotional connection we all have to cotton-- as a product and as an iconic American brand.