Wrangler Europe | We Are Animals| Fall 2009

One wonders how the Wrangler jeans image will change in America, based on the success of trendy photographer Ryan McGinley’s top-winning advertising campaign.

Created by agency Fred & Farid in Paris, the ads, shot in an edgy, but not overtly sexual style, are a Cultural Creative jeans lovers nature documentary.

The Wrangler campaign called “We Are Animals” was created to reintroduce the Wrangler brand to a European audience. Contrast these visuals with the CK Jeans campaign which is over-the-top Modern, and based on sex, too. 

The Europeans are much more intellectual about their fashion … no ‘hey dude, this is sooooo f*cking cool, dude”. And Milano residents actually say that the sensual, animal-rights-inspiredbillboard brings beauty to the streets. 

With a significantly healthier attitude about sexuality than our overly moralistic one in America, the Wrangler campaign is as deeply sensual as sexual. It’s less about CK Jeans titillation and more about grounding our individual sensuality in the animal kingdom and nature. 

We must remember, however, that this is a city (like Paris) where men and women window shop after dinner. The meaning of brand messages are significantly more relevant in Europe, than in America, in terms of the values that are communicated.

Europeans actually believe that fashion, style and design have intellectual roots. In America fashion is superficial, transformational window-dressing. 

Can you imagine really committing to this ‘We Are Animals’ campaign in America? I’d love to think my friends at Wrangler will give it a go. Some failure are noble ones. c