Male-targeted underwear brand Stanfield’s has partnered with the Comedy Network and is putting out a casting call to all Canadians as part of its latest campaign, “Stanfield’s + Comedy Exposed!”

The campaign and partnership will see the brand and the Bell Media specialty channel work together on Exposed, a nation-wide talent competition with only one requirement: that auditioners perform in their underwear.

The winner will be announced Dec. 9, taking home a grand prize of $5,000 and the opportunity to develop a pilot with the Comedy Network.

Open to men, women and groups, the contest launches Oct. 7, and people can upload their auditions to Thecomedynetwork.ca/Exposed until Nov. 17. The top five finalists, as selected by a combination of audience votes and judging by Comedy and Stanfield’s, will be revealed Nov. 18 and the finalists will be flown to Toronto to perform in an exclusive one-night show.

Dave Caporicci, managing director, Bell Media brand partnerships, says that Stanfield’s was seen as a good fit for Comedy because it has built a legacy of producing funny original content that aligns well with the specialty channel, including its recent “Gitchhiker” campaign.

Caporicci says the “Stanfield’s + Comedy Exposed!” program is also a first for the Comedy Network and its largest brand partnership to date, adding that it’s an evolution of programs like its MuchMusic VJ Search, which Bell Media is using more to find talent and as new sources for original programming.

He adds that while other channels have had programs like this for years, this program is part of a new strategy for the Comedy Network as it seeks to attract more brand partners to the channel.

The content is being promoted with TV spots across Bell Media properties, which later feature the top five contest finalists. Stanfield’s and Comedy will promote the casting call by hosting open mic nights at concert and comedy clubs. Starting Oct. 28, the contest’s host, Graham Chittenden, will host a weekly digital-only series on the contest website called Briefly Exposed, in which he will highlight the best submissions of the week.

Kurt Mills, ACD, John St., which provided the campaign’s creative, says the program is a first for Stanfield’s and one of its biggest to date, noting that the spend behind it is comparable to previous entries in the brand’s “We Support Men” messaging.

He adds that Stanfield’s saw this as an opportunity to bring its “We Support Men” brand message to life in a new way that would reach a much broader audience.

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From Media in Canada