Bonobos goes back to basics in first campaign since bankruptcy buyout

Dive Brief:

• Bonobos last week launched a fall campaign with a robust digital media strategy and OOH in several markets that is entitled “Fit is a Feeling,” per details shared with Fashion Dive’s sister publication Marketing Dive.
• The effort, made in partnership with Wilco Collective founder Con Williamson, looks to remind consumers that the menswear brand was founded on fit offerings and craft with a focus on its core offerings. 
• Bonobos’ first major multichannel campaign of the year comes after the onetime DTC darling was bought out of bankruptcy in its latest ownership change.

Dive Insight:

Bonobos is back with “Fit is a Feeling,” a campaign that doubles down on its brand identity and focuses on inclusive fits that inspire confidence in consumers. The campaign features core offerings including its Chino 2.0 pants, Weekday Warrior pants and dress shirt, classic empire tuxedo and Jetsetter blazers.

The campaign includes a robust digital plan, with a focus on YouTube and Reddit, over-the-top video, social media, influencer content and OOH investments in key markets including New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville and Washington, D.C.

“Fit is a Feeling” is the brand’s first major campaign of the year, and the first under its latest ownership structure. Phoenix Retail in June acquired most of Bonobos parent Express Inc.’s assets out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The joint venture between brand equity and management firm WHP Global and several mall owners will operate all DTC commerce in the U.S. for Bonobos as part of the deal.

Founded in 2007, Bonobos was among the first class of DTC brands that upended retail and changed consumer behaviors. Walmart acquired the brand in 2017 but spun it off to Express and WHP Global in 2023 when it shifted its e-commerce strategy. Despite its shifting ownership situation, Bonobos’ brand has remained strong with consumers.

“It doesn’t actually matter who owns the brand,” Liza Amlani, principal and founder of Retail Strategy Group, told Fashion Dive sister publication Retail Dive. “There are so many die-hard fans — the chinos that they’ve been buying and the pants that they’ve been buying for years and years, no matter the ownership.”

Bonobos’ focus on inclusive fits, consumer confidence and its brand identity is in line with fall campaigns unveiled by other retailers. American Eagle promoted self-expression, inclusion and acceptance as part of its back-to-school campaign, while Wrangler has focused on its Western heritage. Other retailers have focused on eye-catching celebrity partnerships and ’90s nostalgia.