Carlos Alcaraz Strips Down to His Underwear in ‘Calvins or nothing’ Campaign
Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s number one men’s singles tennis player, is getting the Calvin Klein treatment.
He is featured in the “Calvins or nothing” ad campaign that will roll out globally Tuesday with special extended content on Calvin Klein’s social channels.
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The 19-year-old Spanish tennis star has won six ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2022 U.S. Open and two Masters 1000 titles. With the U.S. Open, Alcaraz became the youngest-ever men’s world No. 1 at 19 years old. He’s the first teenager in the Open era to top the men’s rankings.
Last Friday, Alcaraz withdrew from the upcoming Australian Open with a right leg injury.
The “Calvins or nothing” campaign, which began last fall with actor and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke and professional footballer Romelu Lukaku, has since featured other talent, including top athletes from around the world, in Calvin Klein Underwear.
In the new campaign, Alcaraz is captured in a series of raw, stripped-back portraits and videos shot by Gray Sorrenti. The black and white visuals highlight Alcaraz’s strength and confidence and reflect the sensuality for which the brand is known.
The tennis ace poses in Klein’s signature Modern Cotton, Cotton Stretch and Cotton Classic Underwear, as well as the new Classic Straight denim. He is also seen in select styles from the new Calvin Klein 1996 Underwear collection, which launches next week. Highlighting black and white colorways and a selection of bold prints, the 1996 collection offers a twist on the brand’s classics, reimagined for a modern look and feel.
Jonathan Bottomley, chief marketing officer of Calvin Klein, told WWD, “Calvin Klein is one of the most iconic brands in the world and we have a history of working with emerging icons who are shaping the culture of today. Carlos is one of the most exciting talents in recent years and his confidence and artistry combine with a graceful physicality that captures the spirit of our brand beautifully.”
Bottomley said the company spends a lot of time talking to consumers whom it needs to engage, and the brand knows that they look to athletes for inspiration, “not just in the realm of sports, but more broadly as cultural and style icons.”
He noted that through the “Calvins or nothing” platform, the company is working with talent who represent the DNA of the Calvin Klein brand — “stars with a youthful confidence who are shaping culture.”
Bottomley said the brand is seeing positive results from this approach already “with strong levels of engagement with the content we are creating including record levels of engagement on TikTok when leveraging key elements of the content mix.” He said the company will be continuing this approach through spring.
Alcaraz is sponsored by Nike for clothing and shoes and by Babolat for racquets. In January 2022 he became a brand ambassador for Rolex.
