Meet the new faces of Aerie's underwear campaign, #AerieMan. From left to right: Doug, Matt, Kelvin, and Devon.
The new collection is good for butts.
And taking butt selfies.
Doing your house chores.
Or just whatever.
Kelvin Davis, one of the four men tapped for the campaign, runs the blog Notoriously Dapper, and says that this is one of the first campaigns to address body diversity and men.
"I'm glad brands and companies are starting to see the need for male body diversity in fashion," Davis told BuzzFeed. "I think it's long overdue, and what better way than to celebrate men in diverse sizes?"
And while body diversity has been an ongoing conversation in women's fashion, it's just starting to hit its stride in the world of menswear.
Davis believes that part of the industry's failure to cater to bigger men has to do with the lack of models, though IMG Models just signed its first plus-size male model, Zach Miko.
But it's been slow going, says Davis. "Brands are just now starting to see the need for diversity."
"So many people have spoken up about the issue," he continued, "and it's finally starting to make brands question their advertising."
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UPDATE: Aerie released a statement the campaign was actually a joke. The company released the following statement today:
American Eagle Outfitters proves once again they’re not afraid to take a risk and have a laugh in support of a good cause. Following the successes of the Skinny Skinny Jean in 2013 and American Beagle Outfitters in 2014, the brand reveals today its #AerieMAN campaign, featuring a mix of quirky characters of different sizes and personalities sharing “real life” stories in their skivvies, was all in good fun to parody the #AerieReal campaign by Aerie, a leader in body-positive marketing. […]
The #AerieMAN campaign, which sparked immediate online chatter and debate, challenged how brands market to the male customer, and portrayed a lighthearted, creative interpretation of the #AerieReal message, a body-acceptance movement launched in 2014 where Aerie, the lingerie and apparel brand from American Eagle Outfitters, stopped retouching its models. In addition to making the pledge to eliminate retouching its male models in its underwear and swim images, American Eagle Outfitters has donated $25,000 to the National Eating Disorders Association, a non-profit that supports those affected by eating disorders and an ongoing partner with Aerie. For more information on NEDA, please visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.com.
“We aren’t afraid of being bold in how we engage our customers, whether through a video that makes you think twice, or challenging the norm in how a brand markets to men,” comments Chad Kessler, American Eagle Outfitters Global Brand President. “We are an all-inclusive brand and we know our male customers respond to humor. We look forward to continuing to innovate and evolve the American Eagle Outfitters product offerings.”