Men's underwear advertising has run on a lean, muscular body since the 1980s.
Tommy John's fall campaign is breaking this tradition, putting 962 pounds of NFL offensive linemen on a fashion runway.
Landon Dickerson, Ted Karras, and Tristan Wirfs each take a turn on a catwalk in nothing but Tommy John underwear.
There's an orchestra off to the side and an audience sipping champagne. Dickerson caps his walk by lobbing a pair into the crowd.
Colton Underwood directed it through his studio, As Best Friends, after a decade spent in NFL locker rooms.
The casting call runs through Cheryl Abel-Hodges, who took over as Tommy John CEO in 2023 after running Calvin Klein.
"Through 'Own Your Comfort,' we're celebrating the confidence that comes from having the right support," she said in a press release.
The campaign highlights the cultural truth that fans remember quarterbacks, not linemen.
Tommy John is using this invisibility as part of its core message.
Offensive linemen understand better than anyone that the most important support goes unnoticed.
This same philosophy underpins the brand's entire product approach.
The CEO's perspective shows how the brand wants professionals and athletes to think about foundations, whether on the field or in boardrooms.
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Dickerson describes comfort as the thing that has to come first before anything else works.
"You get comfortable, you get confident, and then you can pull anything off," he shared.
Overall, the campaign is about brand identity evolving toward Tommy John as the unseen mark of confidence.
962 Pounds of Linemen on a Catwalk
The 15- and 30-second spots run on one premise.
Put the biggest men in football in the most graceful setting available and let the product hold up.
Underwood said directing them on a runway was "about as full circle as it gets" for him.
Tommy John's 360 Sport collection anchors the work, engineered with proprietary fabrics to stop bunching and riding up.
Ultimately, the brand is focused on removing friction so confidence emerges naturally.
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The rollout runs across digital, social, retail, and paid media through the fall.
Earlier campaigns sold Tommy John as the functional choice. "Own Your Comfort" sells it as the confident one.
The casting is what sells this one, which is why Tommy John can skip a TV budget and still get the reach.
The Fit Problem Behind the Casting
The apparel industry is watching how brands talk about comfort.
According to Mintel's 2025 U.S. Adult Clothing Market Report, 78% of adults value comfort over trends.
The same report found 42% struggle to find clothing that fits well, and this number explains the casting better than the first.
Dickerson is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 332 pounds, while Wirfs is 320, and Karras is 310.
Casting a body type is a sizing claim, and shoppers will check it against what Tommy John actually stocks.
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Three takeaways stand out:
- Make cultural truths your foundation: Real professional dynamics permit brands to talk about confidence credibly.
- Tap athletes for reasons outside their sport: Showing linemen outside football proves the product works wherever composure matters.
- Establish invisibility as premium: The best products don't announce themselves; they just work.
Casting choices like this one do as much for brand positioning as the media buy behind them.
Our Take: Are Linemen the Right Faces for Premium Comfort?
There's a version of status that only the wearer knows about, and premium comfort has quietly become it.
We think that Tommy John's decision to feature offensive linemen proves the point better than another chiseled endorsement would have.
It's not about flash or visibility, but about knowing you're comfortable and confident.
The runway framing is what makes it work commercially, because a locker room shoot would have read as another athlete endorsement.
The catwalk puts these three where the lean guys usually stand.
Tommy John is going after the shopper who has already tried the athleisure stuff and wants something that just fits.
Brands pursuing ambitious creative need partners who are all in on their ideas.
Take a look at these top creative agencies in our directory.
