By Daniel Miller
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES - You may not be able to grow Ron Burgundy’s thick, lustrous mustache, but you can drive his car of choice, eat his favorite ice cream and even dress like him. At least when it comes to underpants.
This week, Jockey International Inc. released a line of retro underwear inspired by Paramount Pictures’ forthcoming comedy “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” The movie, which was filmed in Atlanta, is scheduled to open Dec. 20.
It is one of several marketing partnerships the movie studio has finalized, including high-profile deals with Dodge and Ben & Jerry’s - both of which have produced buzz-generating campaigns.
The Jockey arrangement marks the first time since 1950 that the company has sold undergarments inspired by a movie. Back then, Jockey sold underwear as part of a promotion for the Bob Hope film “Fancy Pants.”
The “Anchorman 2” deal didn’t start as a marketing partnership, but with the filmmakers looking for the perfect pair of skivvies.
When the “Anchorman 2” script called for a character to wear a pair of old-school underpants, the project’s costume department did the logical thing - it rang up Jockey and asked for some.
Jockey was a smart choice. The Kenosha, Wis., company is known for a series of advertisements it ran in the 1970s and 1980s that featured star Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Palmer modeling underwear.
That was the look the “Anchorman 2” filmmakers were hoping to replicate for their picture, which is set in 1980 and sees the original “Anchorman” film’s crew of newsmen trying to fit in at a new 24-hour news channel.
But there was one problem - Jockey no longer makes that sort of underwear, said Dustin Cohn, the company’s marketing chief.
Still, Jockey offered to produce a couple of pairs for the production. Cohn said that Jockey consulted its director of consumer relations and resident historian, John Cronce, who used the company’s archive - which houses vintage underwear - for guidance on the project.
“He helped source the design as well as some sample product of the day,” Cohn said. “Our design and product development folks dusted off the old design from the 1980s and were able to reproduce them by hand.”
The fruits of Jockey’s work will be seen on screen when the Will Ferrell-starring picture is released. Though Jockey’s efforts were not part of a product placement deal - the company did not pay Paramount to be included in the movie, the brand is not mentioned, and its logo is not seen - the undergarments company is poised to capitalize on the project.
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