Today The New York Times is bringing many of the tools that journalism in the digital age has to offer — print, blogs, video and infographics (!) — to bear on an emerging beat: male underwear models.
Call it The Times‘ double-barreled response to Annie Liebowitz’s abby Vanity Fair cover.
In print today, Eric Wilson’s style article profiles Kellan Lutz, an “abdominally gifted young actor” who has crossed over into film after his days modeling first for Abercrombie catalogs and, most recently, for Calvin Klein underwear ads. Mr. Lutz has a rom-com with Mandy Moore and a gladiator film with Samuel L. Jackson in the works, according to The Times.
On The Times Media Decoder blog is Stuart Elliot’s post about the briefs company 2(x)ist’s return to print advertising (with ads in Details, Men’s Health and Out magazines), which is not without glistening photo-illustration.
Elliot naturally takes time to explain the product.
The Sliq line, as the name suggests, is meant to be sleeker and more contoured to the body. The logo is more low key than on other 2(x)ist items.
The Sliq shorts come in brief, trunk and thong styles and there are also form-fitting T-shirts and tanks.
The company, he says, will also be “beefing up its marketing budget.”
