How an Aussie underwear brand got environmentalist Jane Goodall on board

Ten-year-old sustainable basics brand Boody sells bamboo underwear, loungewear and activewear online and in more than 4000 retail stores around the world. 

The brand has had a CAGR of over 40 per cent for the last three years, but compared to the likes of Calvin Klein or Hanes, it’s still not a household name. 

So, how did the family-owned Australian business manage to clinch world-renowned primatologist and environmentalist Dr Jane Goodall as its first-ever brand ambassador? 

It all started with a desire to raise brand awareness. 

“We wanted to tell more customers about Boody, but being a small company, we didn’t have the biggest budget, so we knew we had to have the right creative message with a lot of meaning behind it to get cut-through,” Elliot Midalia, one of Boody’s co-managing directors, told Inside Retail. 

For this, the brand hired creative agency Clemenger BBDO, which came up with a new tagline: the official underwear of the entire planet. Then, it was simply a matter of selecting a spokesperson. 

“We didn’t want an influencer or celebrity. We wanted someone with a similar purpose to us, and Jane was top of the list,” Midalia said. 

Clemenger BBDO approached Goodall’s team about partnering with Boody last December, and she quickly agreed. 

“Without knowing the ins and outs of the conversations on their end, I think the fact that we have a shared purpose – to champion a future that’s fit for all – was probably really important,” he said. 

Boody has long championed sustainable fabrics and planet-friendly manufacturing. Its use of bamboo, which – unlike cotton – doesn’t require pesticides, fertilisers or irrigation to enhance its growth, has enabled the brand to save over 522 million litres of drinking water and avoid more than 5 million kilometres of driving emissions. It is also a certified B Corp and part of the 1% for the Planet movement.

“I think she may have recognised that we’re a brand that’s actually walking the walk. We’re not just doing sustainability to check a box, it’s been in our DNA since the beginning,” Midalia said. 

The brand also contributed an undisclosed amount to the Jane Goodall Institute as part of the agreement.

Positive impact

Boody launched the new campaign last week, revealing a 30-second ad with the 88-year-old woman who conducted groundbreaking research on chimpanzees at the heart of it. 

In the ad, Goodall stands in a forest amidst a group of people wearing Boody underwear and says, “It’s a big job making our world a better place, but getting started? Well, that’s as easy as changing your underwear.” 

Billboards and bus stops featuring campaign images have been erected around Sydney and Melbourne, and the partnership has received extensive and positive coverage in the media. So far, it’s having the desired effect. 

“The response to the campaign has been absolutely amazing, beyond anything we could have imagined,” Shaun Greenblo, Boody’s other co-managing director, told Inside Retail. 

The brand received “a chunk” of new followers when the campaign launched, and the numbers have continued to increase every day.  Engagement is up, as is conversion.   

“Jane is the greatest of all time in terms of environmentalism and science. Using her as the face of an underwear brand is unexpected, but it’s really elevated our awareness and message,” Greenblo said. 

Boody is already thinking of ways to extend the partnership beyond the current campaign, which will run for three months. One idea is to launch a scarf similar to the one she’s wearing in the ad, with the proceeds going to the Jane Goodall Institute. 

“We would love to continue working together in the future,” he said. 

Ramping up 

The campaign comes as Midalia and Greenblo look to accelerate Boody’s growth after taking over the business from their fathers, Neil Midalia and David Greenblo, five years ago. 

While their fathers primarily focussed on selling the brand through retailers in the health and wellness space, the sons have brought a sharper focus on branding and digital. 

“We very quickly saw the opportunity for e-commerce, and we started to increase our product offering online,” Greenblo said. 

“Today, we have over 100 styles across men, women and baby – across everyday basics, loungewear and activewear.”

Boody has a global presence, with distribution in around 16 countries, and further international expansion is a core part of its growth strategy. 

The brand is also looking to enter supermarkets and would like to open its own standalone stores in future. 

“It’s just about when we’re ready,” he said. “We’re just trying to be strategic about everything.”

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