May 9, 2013
Will Big Guys Respond to Destination XL’s ‘No Man’s Land’ Spot?
Big guys, a 6’6" friend clued me in on many years ago, have a hard time finding clothes. Often, they can’t find the right size, and what they do find is something they would prefer not to be seen wearing in public. It’s this expressed challenge and the promise of an answer that makes Destination XL’s new "No Man’s Land" commercial a near-perfect execution, in my mind.
The spot features ordinary big guys, beer bellies and all, searching around in a desolate landscape for clothing.
One man in his boxers appears on camera and tells another, "I found this shirt, but I can’t find any pants that fit."
"Good luck with that," responds another man in a tank top and tighty-whities who also is having no luck finding clothes.
A naked man, private parts pixaliated, wearing a winter hat with flaps announces with excitement, "Finally something in my size — gloves!"
The spot finishes with a voiceover: "Stop shopping in no man’s land. There’s a better way for bigger men to find clothes. Destination XL — big on being better."
Bruce Sturgell, founder of Chubstr.com, a blog for larger men, told The New York Times, "They did a good job of channeling the frustration that a lot of big guys have while shopping."
Destination XL bills itself as a one-stop shop for XL men looking for clothing and accessories. The chain, which first launched the spot on May 5, currently has 55 stores around the U.S. with plans to have as many as 112 by the end of its current fiscal year. It is looking to have more than 200 units operating by the end of 2016.
The company is supporting the national television and radio campaign with a Twitter effort where big men are encouraged to share some of the issues related to their size, such as uncomfortable car rides, airplane seats, etc.
![[Image: No Man's Land]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iJTJGcHVibGljJTJGaW1hZ2VzJTJGZGlzY3Vzc2lvbnMlMkYxNjc1OSUyRmRlc3RpbmF0aW9uLXhsLXN0aWxsLmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSIxIiBkYXRhLWg9IjEiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==)
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Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Will Destination XL’s target male audience respond positively to its “No Man’s Land” campaign? What would you expect the chain to do as a follow-up to its first spot?
Poll
This campaign is excellent. It’s a campaign targeted to the critical mass of plus sizes and for that reason I think it will be effective.
Speaking of “disruptive marketing,” this is an attention-getting spot (notwithstanding the pixilated privates, which are becoming a tired TV sitcom gimmick).
I am a “big & tall” consumer and share the common frustration about most department and specialty stores’ limited offerings and size selection (and I’m not that big, just tall). I saw the commercial on TV this week and was already drawn to the website—so in terms of the initial goal of creating awareness, the ad is likely to be successful. The next step will be to convert site visitors to shoppers and eventually brand loyalists.
I would expect a positive reaction to the ad. It seems to capture the frustrations they must feel. Now if we could only actually get men’s clothing that is designed for adults and not someone 18 – 25 years old for the rest of us.
A logical next ad might be showing men entering the store wearing unattractive clothing, seeing a great selection of appropriately sized clothes, and then leaving the stores wearing something that looks really good.
It’s a nice ad and sounds like a decent retail business plan. It is unfortunate that efforts like this are built on the backs of many of us middle-agers (defined loosely) who are getting older and fatter but certainly not taller. This ad doesn’t make me want to shop there, but get in better shape so I never have to shop there.
The target male consumers may respond positively to a store that has the clothing they need that is so difficult to find in many mainstream locations. The XL ads got shopper attention; now time to focus on fulfillment of hopes for attractive and better fitting clothing. Apparel ads are usually designed to engage the shopper with more flattering outfits — don’t think working the desperation angle as a campaign will draw in this older group.
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This campaign is excellent. It’s a campaign targeted to the critical mass of plus sizes and for that reason I think it will be effective.
Speaking of “disruptive marketing,” this is an attention-getting spot (notwithstanding the pixilated privates, which are becoming a tired TV sitcom gimmick).
I am a “big & tall” consumer and share the common frustration about most department and specialty stores’ limited offerings and size selection (and I’m not that big, just tall). I saw the commercial on TV this week and was already drawn to the website—so in terms of the initial goal of creating awareness, the ad is likely to be successful. The next step will be to convert site visitors to shoppers and eventually brand loyalists.
I would expect a positive reaction to the ad. It seems to capture the frustrations they must feel. Now if we could only actually get men’s clothing that is designed for adults and not someone 18 – 25 years old for the rest of us.
A logical next ad might be showing men entering the store wearing unattractive clothing, seeing a great selection of appropriately sized clothes, and then leaving the stores wearing something that looks really good.
It’s a nice ad and sounds like a decent retail business plan. It is unfortunate that efforts like this are built on the backs of many of us middle-agers (defined loosely) who are getting older and fatter but certainly not taller. This ad doesn’t make me want to shop there, but get in better shape so I never have to shop there.
The target male consumers may respond positively to a store that has the clothing they need that is so difficult to find in many mainstream locations. The XL ads got shopper attention; now time to focus on fulfillment of hopes for attractive and better fitting clothing. Apparel ads are usually designed to engage the shopper with more flattering outfits — don’t think working the desperation angle as a campaign will draw in this older group.