Leo Burnett Company of Toronto – creator of the award-winning ‘Clothesline’ campaign for Fruit of the Loom underwear – has resigned its North American assignment for the brand.

The agency began working with Fruit of the Loom in 1993 after its Chicago, Ill. office picked up the u.s. business.

The success of the campaign, which humorously contrasted frilly, impractical tidbits with Fruit of the Loom’s ‘Really, really comfortable underwear’, resulted in North American creative and media planning being consolidated in Toronto in March 1996. Media buying continued to be handled out of Chicago.

Gerry Frascione, chief client service officer, says the relationship between client and agency had been strained for the past six months because they did not see eye to eye on the evolution of Fruit of the Loom’s creative platform.

He says the agency is very proud of the work it has done on the business, and the people who have done the work, but it was in everyone’s best interests to resign.

Fruit of the Loom is already reviewing several u.s. firms to take over the account.