Strolling along Toronto’s trendy Queen Street West on a hot summer’s day, you might walk right by the high-end men’s clothing store Boomer without noticing it. But what you’re not likely to miss are the current ads for the one-location store, posted in transit shelters along the same street.
The three ads feature a bald male mannequin, dressed in sharp Boomer clothing, on a series of ‘dates’ with three women. The women are enamoured with the Don Juan-esque mannequin – one of them even ends up in bed with him, lighting a cigarette.
The slogan featured in the ads, ‘Boomer makes the man,’ is a play on the notion of the clothes make the man, explains Craig Cooper, CD at Flavour, the Toronto shop behind the campaign. ‘These clothes so make the man, the woman doesn’t even particularly care that it’s just a mannequin that’s there.’
Boomer hasn’t advertised before with an agency, though it has enlisted independent photographers and graphic artists to do some ad work, including direct mail. Since Rob Guenette, CEO of Flavour, is one of Boomer’s best customers, it made sense to bring Flavour onboard.
The mannequin in the ads is Chris, Boomer’s mascot of sorts. Dressed in Boomer clothing and displayed in the middle of the store, he’s often mistaken for a real person, reveals Boomer owner Dan Molenaar. Molenaar says Chris is a good tie-in because customers recognize him and that Boomer may continue with the ads, putting Chris in different scenarios.
Flavour will also soon be doing creative for Boomer aimed at the gay audience, since a large component of its customers are gay. The mannequin ads will be used as P-O-P within the store and may end up as print ads, and possibly as postcards.
Credits
Client: Boomer
Agency: Flavour
Creative Directors: Craig Cooper, Briony Wilson
Art Director: Marissa Mastenbroek
Copywriter: Ryan Wagman
Photographer: Bryan Helm
Production: Paula Harding
Media: Esmé Röttschafer
