Case Study | 2010-2015

How we reached
a new demographic
by giving to a
good cause

90 million media
impressions
50% increase in sales
$85,000 donated to
cancer research

I got the gig

because I had
one ball.
-Mark McIntyre

The Stanfields Story

Stanfields is a Canadian underwear company with a 150
year history, based out of Truro,
Nova Scotia. In 2010, the company partnered with John St.,
a Toronto-based ad agency, to
rejuvenate its brand and boost
its social media presence.

In the next five years, Stanfields

launched three ad campaigns
centered around testicular
cancer survivor Mark McIntyre: The Guy At Home In His
Underwear, Gitchhiker, and
Streak Week. Each campaign
raised money for mens belowthe-belt cancer research while
bringing awareness to Stanfields
and its social media channels.

The campaigns generated a

combined total of over 90
million media impressions and
a 50 per cent increase in sales,
demonstrating the benefits of
blending a marketing strategy
with a charitable cause and an
average joe.

The Problem
As an older underwear company based out of a small town,
Stanfields had become your
dads underwear brand, largely
unknown to young consumers.
As of 2010, the company had
almost no following, mentions,
or engagement on social media.
Radian6 tracking showed zero
mentions of the brand online.

Meanwhile, the company was

in a competitive market with
the youthful and energetic likes
of Calvin Klein and Fruit of the
Loom. Stanfields was looking
to do something to raise their
profile and attract a younger
audience, but the company had
limited funds, only $400,000 to
invest nationally in a campaign.

They needed a cost-effective

strategy that would deliver
measurable results, so they
turned away from television
advertising toward a social
media marketing campaign. The
idea was to focus on something
theyd been good at all along:
providing support for men.
This time, however, the support
would be for raising funds and
awareness for mens below-thebelt cancer.

The Solution
The overall strategy consisted of three marketing campaigns: The Guy At Home In His Underwear,
Gitchhiker, and Streak Week. Each campaign combined an average joe figure, a fun idea, and an element
of corporate social responsibility. In practice, this meant having a cancer survivor in his underwear,
meeting people, living life, and raising money for cancer research, all with the goal of raising Stanfields
profile online.

Meet Mark
In 2007, Mark McIntyre was
diagnosed with testicular cancer.
I was an exception at 38, he
said. Testicular cancer typically affects younger men, aged
15-29. Mark auditioned for
the role, after hearing about it
from his agent. While I am an
actor, I never acted any of it,
he explained. My story was all
true. Being a performer was just
handy as it made it a bit easier
for me as I was used to attention and cameras. I was also a

bit older at 38, but I dont look

super old so they were ok with
it. Marks age worked perfectly,
as did his goofy and fun-loving
persona. As a man in his late
30s, he was able to attract a
younger audience, while still
allowing the older Stanfields
demographic to relate to him.
Despite the measurable positive
impact that Marks work had
on Stanfields brand, he remains
modest: I got the gig because I
had one ball.

The Guy At Home In His Underwear (2010)

It was exactly what it sounds like: a guy at home in his underwear. It was a live, 24/7 video stream of
Mark McIntyre wearing nothing but his Stanfield tighty whities for 25 days straight. Think Truman Show
meets Big Brother.Viewers had the pleasure of hopping online to see McIntyre do everything from
playing video games to chatting with CBCs George Stroumboulopoulos, and even sparring with UFC
fighter Sean Pierson. It was an unscripted, unedited, social media experiment in support of testicular
cancer awareness.

Strategy:
For every Facebook like received during the
campaign, one dollar was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The campaigns dedicated website was one of
the first in Canada to tie a corporate social
responsibility component to a Facebook like.
Mark updated followers with a daily recap
video and blog on the campaigns site.
Direct donations could also be made through
a branded donation page tied to the Canadian
Cancer Societys back-end donation platform.

Results:
It was the fastest growing branded Facebook
page in Canada, with 52,000 new Facebook
fans in just 25 days.
The Globe and Mail called it the best social
media stunt the country has seen, with over
$52,000 raised for the cause.
Viewers tuned in for over three million
minutes of live streaming, over six years of
viewing time.
The campaign concluded with over 1.3
million page views and over 43 million media
impressions.

Gitchhiker (2012)
Hitchhiking in nothing but his gitch, Mark McIntyre was on a race against time to get from BC all the
way across Canada to Standfields headquarters in Truro, Nova Scotia. If he succeeded, Stanfields had
promised to rip him a fat cheque of $25,000 for below-the-belt cancer research. That was his mission: 21 days in 21 pairs of underwear. McIntyres Planes, Trains & Automobiles-esque journey included
hitching a ride in a Saskatchewan Correctional Services van, riding the subway in Toronto, off-road
luging in Calgary, all while cameramen followed him in a van aptly named The Gitchmobile.

Strategy:
The campaign used a custom application to
serve as a hub for fans. It included:
Status updates with pictures

Results:
Over 8,000 km travelled
$27,000 donated by Stanfields and $32,398
raised in total, including donations from fans

Opportunities for fans to show support

50 per cent sales increase

Icons that gave him dares, offered a ride, and

500 per cent increase in fans

linked to the Canadian Cancer Society website

to make a donation

47 million media impressions (90 million for

both campaigns combined)

The campaign included a dynamic map that

Tweets and Retweets from celebrities, such

aggregated all of Marks tweets, photos, and

as Shannon Tweed, Mark Ruffalo, and Cobie

videos throughout the day so fans could follow

Smuthers, or as Mark put it: two Avengers

his exact location in real time.

and a Playmate.

Streak Week (2015)

Well donate money, if you donate your dignity. Stanfields encouraged Canadians to strip down to
their gitches and raise funds for below-the-belt cancer research from October 18 to 26, by organizing
their own walk, or rather, run of shame.

Strategy:
Stanfields encouraged Canadians to organize
their own streak week, rewarding a free pair of
underwear for every $50 raised.
Stanfields donated $1 for every tweet with the
hashtag #streakweek, up to $25,000.
One-minute YouTube videos recapped each day
Direct donations were made through a branded donation page tied to the Canadian Cancer
Societys back-end donation platform.

Results:
They achieved their goal of $25,000, but the
campaign was not as successful as planned. Stanfields has since transitioned to a new agency
with a new brand message. Streak Week may
not have worked as well, said Mark McIntyre.
It was clear that it just didnt have the same
magic. I suspect that everyone involved knew
that a different approach would be needed in
the future.