We say: Justin Bieber. You say… ‘Aaaaaiiiiieh!’ (hi there, teen readers!) / ‘Oh, god. Make. It. Stop’ (hi there, rest of the rational-thinking world). But whatever your stance, thanks to fashion’s new obsession with the Biebs, there IS no making it stop. The boy is everywhere right now – and in his tighty whities, at that.
We’re talking, of course, about the new Calvin Klein ad campaign, in which our erstwhile hero writhes with Lara Stone while showing off his extravagantly tattooed torso, pristine white boxers (been stocking up on Daz, Justin?), and unavoidable – er – bulge (try not to look at it. You can’t, can you?).
Never mind Kim Kardashian, these are the images that have broken the internet. Has there been photoshopping? Sock or not? And just: why, oh why? The people of the worldwide web demand answers.
And while we can’t help with the first two queries, we CAN reveal the whys. Calvin Klein has reported that, since the campaign debuted on 6 January, the brand has gained 3.6 million social media followers. That’s more than the population of Uruguay, people. What’s more, in the 48 hours after the launch, the hashtag #mycalvins generated 1.6 million Twitter mentions – five times the number garnered by #breaktheinternet after Kim Kardashian’s Paper magazine cover. As brand awareness goes, there is no denying the power of the Biebs.
Of course, where viral ad campaigns featuring a Bieber bulge lead, sanity demands that hilarious send-ups must follow – not least the Saturday Night Live spoof below.
And now it's been announced that a Comedy Central Roast will be dedicated to lampooning all things Bieber. Set to air on US TV in early March, it's sure to feature yet more underpant-based jibes.
But, ask yourself, who is really having the last laugh? Calvin Klein is, of course. Whether you’re loving it, hating it, or just dumbfoundedly unable avert your eyes in the same manner as witnessing a traffic accident, the Justin Bieber campaign has got us all talking about CK undies once again. And let’s face it: the population of Uruguay can’t be wrong.
