This week, Marks & Spencer will unveil its first ever cross business underwear campaign spanning across womenswear and menswear, ‘Make an Understatement’.
M&S has maintained its market leading position in women’s underwear for over five years with a 39.5% share in bras and 1 in 3 women in the UK buying their knickers from M&S. Now, M&S also leads in men’s underwear with a 19.2% share of the market, +4.4% from 2021.
The campaign, which is the first men’s underwear campaign for 10 years, delivers a fresh, dynamic aesthetic, with a focus on contemporary design and everyday style, underpinned by innovation and industry leading expertise. Bringing together womenswear and menswear, M&S is leveraging its market leading position in the underwear category as it continues drive style perceptions and grow market share in its Clothing and Home business.
The innovative Men’s Autograph underwear range comprises briefs, trunks & boxers and features 360 Flex™ technology with soft and breathable modal-rich fabric. Available across a versatile, foundational palette of black, white, grey, navy and blue with seasonal updates including olive, taupe, and smoky green, it is designed to complement the colourways in the lingerie styles in the Women’s collection, which are also available in black, white and navy alongside smoky green to inject some subtle spring colour.
Mitch Hughes, menswear director, comments: Mitch Hughes, C&H Menswear Director, comments: “The team and I are beyond excited to launch our first men’s underwear campaign in 10 years. As the market leader in the UK, it’s only right we continue to lead the way with elevated, everyday essentials that deliver style, comfort and quality to our customers. The powerful campaign and collection are all about providing the perfect fit and empowering customers to feel confident in making an understatement with their everyday underwear. That’s why, for the first time, we have introduced brand new 360 FlexTM technology to the range as well as updating our shapes and fits – including our new classic woven boxer as we see this trend for summer.”
Charlotte Davies, lingerie director, comments: “We believe that self-expression starts with how you feel, and for many of us, that begins with the underwear we choose to wear. With our new campaign, we’re inviting customers to embrace simplicity, subtlety, and sophistication – showing you don’t need to shout to stand out. M&S underwear is about understated confidence, comfort, and an effortless style that feels as good as it looks”.
The ‘Make an Understatement’ campaign launches on Thursday 20 February with product available for customers to shop in store and online. Running across VOD, billboards, digital and social platforms, the campaign will be unmissable, reaching an estimated 183 million people across all channels. The OOH presence will dominate Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester, with dual screens in Canary Wharf and Bond Street.
