The new campaign for Calvin Klein is a little Risky Business and a lot of empowered exhibitionism, wrapped in ‘90s nostalgia.
The work features actor Greta Lee in a brand debut that may be this fall’s answer to Jeremy Allen White’s headline-grabbing spring video for the legendary fashion label.
Lee, a first-time Emmy nominee for her role in AppleTV+’s hit series The Morning Show, opens the commercial with a Tom Cruise-inspired house party in nothing but socks, Calvin Klein undies, and attitude.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGmKIJ-VP-E
She eventually dances into the street and goes for an unapologetic public romp in her logo skivvies (plus a jacket).
The soundtrack is different this time—it’s not “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger but “We Got the Beat,” a pop anthem from ultimate fempowerment group The Go-Go’s.
‘Body appreciation’ era
Lee, already a global brand ambassador for apparel and accessories company Loewe, digs further into endorsements with the ad, directed by Mert Alas. She recently told W magazine that the Calvin Klein campaign represents her “body appreciation” era.
“I felt like it was more likely I would go to the moon than do this,” Lee said of the shoot, per the W interview. “This is something that, maybe, I would’ve imagined for myself in my 20s. But it is me now, and I do feel this sense of gratitude of just being in my body, everything that I’ve been through in this body.”
In a statement from the brand, Lee called the effort “a radical and emotional experience.”
Celebrity skin
The 41-year-old Lee, also known for starring in the critically lauded drama Past Lives, joins Calvin Klein’s celebrity-packed roster as the brand has kicked up a new round of controversy in 2024. (It’s no stranger to dust-ups about its provocative advertising, which has been widely copied and parodied).
Early this year, U.K. regulators banned its artsy billboard with British musician FKA Twigs, saying it showed too much skin, but later partially reversed its decision. Adweek has called it out as one of the buzziest outdoor campaigns of the year.
