- The menswear brand Suitsupply's new ad is going viral on Twitter.
- "The new normal is coming" is a far cry from typical ads during the pandemic.
- Ads with messages of "we're all in this together" quickly became cliché last year.
A new ad from the menswear brand Suitsupply depicting nearly naked models making out is making waves online.
The title, "The new normal is coming," seems to signal an entrance into a post-pandemic, post-vaccine world of
"Post-pandemic life is on the horizon," Fokke de Jong, Suitsupply's founder and CEO, told Insider. "Social distancing for extraordinarily long periods of time has conditioned us to fear proximity of others and that is perfectly justified. The campaign is simply a positive outlook on our future where people can get back to gathering and getting close."
Of course, people on Twitter had plenty of predictions and opinions.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewrsorkin) March 4, 2021
—Josh1 (@Josh1Rivera) March 4, 2021
—alex (@alex_abads) March 4, 2021
Some found the ad off-putting while parts of the US are in the thick of serious outbreaks.
—Morgan Hines (@MorganEmHines) March 4, 2021
—Jessica Smith (@JessicaASmith8) March 4, 2021
—Stefan Riley (@SMack_Riley) March 4, 2021
—Bridget Read (@bridgetgillard) March 4, 2021
Some critics have noticed that seemingly every ad over the past year has followed the same beats. Phrases including "times like these," "we've always been there for you," and "we'll get through this together" almost immediately became cliché.
Fast Company noticed the trend too and categorized the ads. A YouTube compilation showing these tropes was published in April.
"People are looking to get out and about again," de Jong said. "Parallels to the Roaring 20's are being drawn on a regular basis. Naturally brands will connect with this sentiment. At the beginning of the pandemic, Suitsupply was among the first to implement safe shopping experiences, that's what people needed, and we met that moment. I believe people want to connect to something more positive now."
Suitsupply's ad also fits into the "me and my friends after the vaccine" meme of people sharing silly or affectionate images showing how desperately they want to be vaccinated and connect with others again.