Calvin Klein unveiled its Spring 2017 men’s underwear campaign today, which the brand dubbed “Revelation,” following Sunday night’s Academy Awards. It stars the men from best picture winner Moonlight including Mahershala Ali, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes.
Photographer Willy Vanderperre shot the movie’s stars for the ads, which come after Raf Simons took over as Calvin Klein’s creative director. The work features the typically revealing underwear shots Calvin Klein is known for as well as more nuanced portraits of the actors.
“Even after the performance is over, I realize that you still have to service it,” said Mahershala Ali, who won best supporting actor for his role in the film, in a statement posted on Calvin Klein’s site. “I’ll be in a coffee shop and someone will come up to me and just open a vein … telling me how this struck a nerve for them, what their experience was. And I really try to be present for that. I’m really thankful for that.”
The brand explained in its post touting the new ads that they’re a celebration of “[h]ow radical an act it is to reveal oneself to another so candidly, so clearly, that it strikes a nerve. When so much out in the world would threaten us—bodily, psychologically, scaring us inside of ourselves to seek shelter within—merely showing oneself, unguarded, can be heroic.”
The post continues: “For these four phenomenal actors—Mahershala, as well as breakout newcomers Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes—whose profoundly brave performances made Moonlight this year’s tour de force movie, finding their voice on-screen was just the beginning. With the attention and opportunities that will now come their way, Mahershala, Alex, Ashton and Trevante can properly announce themselves to the world. This is their time to step into the light.”
A rep for Calvin Klein did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
See more of the new ads below:
