Pity the poor man named Zach, who’s no fashion plate, by his own admission, running a gauntlet of “dress code” parties, summer weddings, and neighborhood barbecues without a clue of how to outfit himself.
In desperation, he drives to the clothing store in his skivvies, which is infinitely preferable to the side-eye he’ll get from his sister if he rocks raggedy jean shorts to her 40th.
Men’s Wearhouse isn’t suggesting that hapless dudes show up half naked—that’s part of the punch line as the legacy retailer launches a cheeky new ad series promising to cure all manner of wardrobe ills.
“Our strategy is all about creating mass reconsideration, and there’s no better way to do that than with comedy,” said Matt Repicky, senior vice president, chief brands officer at parent company Tailored Brands. “We’re reintroducing Men’s Wearhouse to people who think they already know us.”
The work comes from Party Land, the brand’s newly named agency of record. The two kicked off a project-based relationship with an ad series last spring under the revamped “Love The Way You Look” platform, driving a 300% increase in purchase intent and tripling the previous unaided awareness, per the partners.
The marketing message has evolved for 2025, shifting from building up men’s confidence to giving them practical solutions for dressing better. The goal is to continue setting the brand and its 630 stores apart from competitors and expand beyond its old-school reputation and formalwear roots to reach younger shoppers.
Party Land, known for leaning heavily into humor for Liquid Death, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Wholly Veggie and other brands, broke new ground for Men’s Wearhouse in the genre in 2024.
Three ads debuting this week intend to carry the theme forward, casting comedians from Los Angeles improv troupes such as the Groundlings. Greg Cromer, Katie Walder, and Beth Dover join as co-stars with Chris Kleckner, who plays Zach, for an effort that intentionally veers from the category norm.
“Most fashion ads love to pretend every guy is a supermodel, but most guys just want to look good without having to think too hard,” according to Matt Heath, Party Land’s co-founder and chief creative officer and ADWEEK Creative 100 alum. New spots aim to “make the brand feel more relevant and more like the guys who shop there.”