Fruit of the Loom was in unfamiliar territory. They had just decided to stop using the brand’s iconic mascots, the “Fruit Guys” (four grown men dressed in cartoonish fruit costumes whom together personified the Fruit of the Loom logo) in their advertising. It was an ambitious brand makeover encouraged by holding company Berkshire Hathaway, who wanted to trade Fruit of the Loom’s image as a no-frills brand bought mostly on price, to a fashion-forward brand that allowed people to express their personal style.
Fruit of the Loom had already begun to introduce new colors and patterns and more comfortable fabrics. Their products had a totally new look in feel. Now they needed a website to match. And the launch date was not negotiable.
The new Fruit of the Loom brand would be unveiled on national television during the 2012 Summer Olympics. The media buys had been made. The site had to be ready. And they wanted a direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform to go with it. We gave them all that and more.