BONDS BOOBS Campaign

BONDS, an iconic Australian brand established in 1915 by Mr George Allan Bond. The Bonds Story He started off manufacturing women's hosiery and today men can enjoy buying comfortable underwear and sleepwear, t-shirts and polo shirts… for women they stock your everyday items that is cotton-based for everyday women with an active lifetsyle, simple, cheeky and maternity wear alongside casual clothing, and a variety of undergarments including bras and hipsters. And for the infants and children: singlets, underwear and sleepwear are also available.

Among these range of clothes, Bonds had invested to launch their new range of bras in a campaign to increase boob-esteem. They have also partnered with NBCF to support breast cancer research, focusing on early detection of breast cancer.

Teasing the consumers, Bonds released its first clue in the teaser campaign which reads on billboards “BOOBS” that can be seen across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The first sighting on October 5^th had motorists on the Tullamarine freeway taking snap shots of this BIG, BOLD, cryptic distraction which to the “trained eye” it is well clear that BONDS is responsible.

This teaser campaign ‘prompted excitement on social media’ and according to mUmBRELLA , nothing was to be released until their reveal on October 13^th.

Spoke too soon

On October 9^th, the National Breast Cancer Foundation fund revealed its renewed partnership with BONDS and to launch a new bra collection.

The BOOBS campaign is promoting a healthy active lifestytle, celebrating yourself and your boobs, raising funds for breast cancer research.

Let’s start off with the billboard, “BOOBS”, the Teaser Campaign.

Before anyone knowing about the campaign and its recent partnership, consumers in capitol cities are faced with this billboard. When I first looked at the billboard it took me a second to see that it said BOOBS, I was reading BONDS automatically because of the bold capital font and underscore with each letter.

Driven to Distraction

 With Bonds being a well-known brand, they could get away changing their logo as the connections between the two include the font, main colours of black and white, and the underscore under each letter.

The mirroring/connections between the billboard and the brand makes it clear that the advertisement is for BONDS and that they are releasing a new bra range. 

Thankfully, there have been no reported casualties in response to this ad.

With massive posters alongside buses and on facebook we get a taste of their new collection.

It’s for bras! What a surprise. 

Once all the types of “boobs” were gathered up, the whole new range sounds a bit like the seven dwarfs? 

Happy, Busty, Sporty, Smooth, Wow, Super, Mama, coincidence?

Everyday women, wearing a range of different bras.

These words give our BOOBS personality, whatever type you’d like to be that day. These words describe the unique quality about the bra, for example, Sporty is for the active girl that provides support and comfort and importantly for this girl, breathable. Bonds are getting to be more personable. By looking at their website you can see what they all mean (www.bonds.com.au/boobs)

By using these names, this ads to Bonds personality. The personality of Bonds can be seen as fun, for the active lifetsyle and especially cheeky. The words that they have used relate to that nature. As well as building an emotional connection with others, being playful and flirty. The models they have used as well are young and fresh looking, vibrant in their energy. They possess an attractive appeal that is enticing and makes me want to hit a bonds store and trial them out. I want that energy, that comfort, that confidence!

I like having names for my clothing, it’s a girl thing, this is made for me and for all catering to all shapes and sizes offering sizes 8A to 16G.

Bonds on YouTube

Play 1, 2 and 3

In the first video we are taken behind the scenes of the professional photo shoot. The different models that are sporting the different styles have nothing but positive feedback for the bra saying that it is very comfortable to wear. The shoot looks like they are all having fun, reflecting the carefree nature in that is an important aspect of the brand image. It’s colourful against a mostly white background. They are having fun, jumping around, testing the support of the bra, which appears the women, gives that a thumbs up. They also display the seven types introducing the styles incorporating their names in big, bold colourful font.

The following video, we are introduced to Jane Newman, Head of Design at Bonds responds to Australian women’s requests for bras. In the video she demonstrates the new range they have to offer and describes that she is ‘tackling the variety of needs that women have’. To watch the ad was very pleasing to the eye and very similar to the Bonds brand essence. Displaying a range of bras in all the bright colours uplifts the white-roomed background. It has the feeling of clean, fresh and bubbly. Talking about the bras and their benefits, she emphasizes their comfort, support and flexibility. This emphasizes bonds reputation for comfort suiting everyday woman aged 16-55 years. This range also completes the variety of underwear they already have on offer. 

The final video from the boobs series, Myf Warhurst takes to the streets and interviews real women on their boob-esteem. It begins by asking the women what we call our boobs. Errr, breasts. Once it is established that boobs is in our Aussie vernacular she asks women what they feel about their boobs and mostly, their “boob-esteem” was very low. This video shows what women want in a bra and we want support and to be comfortable.

Most importantly they go to say they feel better about themselves when they are wearing the right bra, they feel more confident. Enjoying you and relating to a boob persona is playful and creates that connection with the consumers.  

  

The overall vibe of the videos is carefree and becomes more relatable, we are introduced behind the scenes, to the top designer, and us! Myf hit the streets to find out the bra problems most women have. To me they’ve covered all bases!

Successful/Unsuccessful

The teaser leading up to the reveal is the best part. But when NBCF released a statement prior to the reveal saying that it ‘has been in discussion with Bonds for some time over the campaign to launch Bond’s new bra range’ Bonds Launch Controversial Boobs Billboard If they have been working together, integrity was lost whence NBCF’s statement released on October 9^th prior to the October 13^th reveal date. 

This statement doesn’t make things any better for Bonds…

‘NBCF worked with Bonds to ensure that respect and care for the whole woman and her health was woven through elements of the campaign, other than the title.’ mUmBRELLA 2 The statement was released after negative feedback for the campaign, finding it offensive.

Though with bad publicity surrounding the campaign, it is still spoken about, tweeted, instagrammed and prompted somewhat of a media frenzy. If people are talking about your campaign, I think it is a success. 

My opinion towards their brand is positive, they have reconnected with the Breast Cancer foundation and stated that they would match to the dollar the full amount they raise. They are supporting the research for early detection of breast cancer in breast cancer awareness month.

Bonds Boobs ad was, by many, being written off as offensive. Bonds’ aim was to release a new range of bras and increase care for your breasts which would include regular check-ups. It was not meant to be seen as offensive but fun and charitable way to spread awareness.

BOOBSBoobs is in the Aussie vernacular and a majority of women call their breasts boobs, I personally do, and every girl I know does too. I don’t think they should be outraged or offended because it is just a word and they do not have a graphic image up there instead. Cheeky.

On the other hand, it is being labeled as lazy, cheap, and offensive, Susie says. And that BOND’s attempt to be philanthropic is a marketing stunt to increase sales – Well of course it is! But being breast cancer awareness month, have companies exploited this month to earn the bigger dollars? Well – it shouldn’t matter if they are matching the dollar to the dollar. However, the downside is, more money for cancer research … not a good month for women without breasts, their boob-esteem has become lower after this campaign.

Overall I think the campaign was a success both for Bonds and in the fight against breast cancer.