Our Favorite Campaigns
The Wonderbra is a marvel of a contraption, a suspension
bridge for breasts that pushes up and plunges at the same
time, like some kind of movie special effect. It's made of
54 separate pieces--little bits of lace and bows and pads
(known in the foundation industry as "cookies"). But you
wouldn't know any of that to see the Wonderbra ad
campaign.
The campaign is simplicity itself: buxom model Eva Herzigova
cinched up in various Wonderbras, photographed by superstar
fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth. The message is clear
in any language.
"The pictures exude self-confidence and playfulness," says
Maria Beltrametti, who manages the Wonderbra account at
TBWA. They need do no more.
The Wonderbra was the right product with the right name at
the right time. Introduced in the United States in May, 1994,
it was an instant success, a phenomenon in the annals of
lingerie consumerism. On Day One of the Wonderbra Era,
stores sold out in mere hours, a buying frenzy fueled by
early media hype. Push-up fever spread from Miami to Alaska.
The Wonderbra was invented back in 1964 and manufactured
by a British company for the next 25 years, only to become
a hit in the '90s with the resurgance of tailored fashion
and the disappearance of silicone as a breast-enhancing
option. Perhaps that's why the Sara Lee Corporation, which
bought Playtex in 1991, decided to market the bra in the
States. Or maybe the cheesecake company just couldn't
resist dabbling in cookies.
