In Fall 2021, Harvard Business School performed a classroom simulation to mimic what happens when a brand goes through a crisis. Edelman CEO, Richard Edelman, tapped the Atlanta Creative Team to help concept and develop the content that would be used for the simulation of the fake jeans brand, Dude Jeans.
Brand Background
For over 50 years, Dudes Jeans has been a privately-owned business that traditionally marketed its products to heterosexual men—often using over-sexualized and traditional images of both men and women in their marketing materials. Most of their consumers are blue-collar, middle-income men between the ages of 30 and 55.
Crisis Simulation Background
Despite Dude Jeans’ traditional audience, a new consumer base emerges from the transgender community and spreads quickly through social media, especially TikTok. While the brand sees the opportunity to expand its appeal and market share, upper management decides to avoid doing anything out of fear of alienating the core consumer base. Shortly after the decision, an email chain from the Dude Jeans marketing and executive team discussing the risks and benefits of leaning into the new market share of LGBTQ+ are leaked anonymously to Twitter and, subsequently, advertising publications. Uproar ensues from social media, the LGBTQ+ community, and various fashion brands.
Below are examples of Dude Jeans ads and the TikTok content for the crisis simulation.
Roles: Creative Direction, Content Production, Copywriter
Patchwork
tiktok
Partnership with Lake Ashlee to showcase how the trans community embraced Dude Jeans.
