Can Jude Bellingham’s underwear campaign put Calvin Klein back in the spotlight?

Calvin Klein has turned celebrity underwear campaigns into major talking points before. With Jude Bellingham fronting its latest Icon Cotton Stretch campaign, the brand is giving that formula another outing; this time with a football star at its centre.

Launching globally on Monday, the campaign marks Bellingham’s debut for Calvin Klein. Oliver Hadlee Pearch photographed and directed the campaign in Madrid in August, capturing the athlete in pared-back imagery that includes a nod to his signature on-pitch celebrations.

The concept, “the icon underneath,” connects Bellingham’s public confidence with the more personal feeling of being comfortable in his own skin.

“I really enjoyed working on this campaign,” Bellingham said in the press release. “I liked the idea of ‘the icon underneath’ – that confidence starts with feeling comfortable in yourself. Calvin Klein is such an iconic brand, so it was great to bring that idea to life in my own way.”

A familiar formula, with a new face

The obvious reference point is Jeremy Allen White’s spring 2024 underwear campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas, it placed the "The Bear" actor on a New York rooftop, wearing the brand’s underwear in images and a film that quickly spread across social media. A prominent SoHo billboard helped carry the campaign beyond the screen. According to Launchmetrics figures, the campaign generated 12.7 million dollars in Media Impact Value within its first 48 hours.

Jung Kook offered another demonstration of Calvin Klein’s ability to turn celebrity casting into widespread attention. The BTS member’s fall 2023 Calvin Klein Jeans campaign generated 13.4 million dollars in MIV in 48 hours, according to Launchmetrics’ year-in-review.

Launchmetrics’ proprietary MIV metric assigns a monetary value to media exposure across channels, taking account of factors including reach, engagement, source authority and content quality. It offers a way to compare campaign visibility, but should not be read as revenue generated.

Bellingham’s campaign follows the same broad approach. The difference is the sporting context.

The product focus is Icon Cotton Stretch, a range built around comfort, support and a flexible cotton-stretch blend. Bellingham introduces the Icon Cotton Stretch Shine Trunk, which updates the Infinity Bond logo waistband with a shine finish. He also wears the Boxer Brief, Low Rise Trunk, Hip Brief and Slim Boxer.