Hanes Apparel Appoints Special US as Agency of Record

Special U.S., an independent creative group, has been named Agency of Record (AOR) for Hanes, America’s No. 1 brand of basic apparel, after a five-month competitive pitch. 

Hanes, found in nine out of ten American households, is one of the country’s most beloved and iconic apparel and innerwear brands, known for their unmatched comfort, modern styles, and accessibility. Special will partner with the company to lead brand strategy and creative development across the product portfolio to drive growth. While Hanes has a rich and storied advertising legacy, Special will explore fresh, youthful ways to reinvigorate the brand’s take on comfort. 

“Hanes is a legendary American brand that has reinvented itself to remain a staple in so many of our lives for more than a century. We’ve all owned a piece of their clothing at one point or another, and we deeply value that brand heritage and history. We are honoured to work with their team to advance a shared spirit of innovation and creativity, and to write this next chapter of comfort together,” said Kelsey Hodgkin, CEO at Special U.S.

Special has experience working with HanesBrands’ portfolio of brands since 2020 and has developed multiple award-winning creative campaigns for the company. New campaigns for Hanes will launch later in the year and roll into 2025.

"We’re excited not only by the opportunity to do great work for such an iconic brand but also because it was clear to us from the very first pitch meeting that we would be working with a group of clients who share our values and drive,” said Cade Heyde, global partner at Special. 

“We have found a unique and best-in-class partner in Special to bring to life our big ambitions for 2024 and beyond,” said Dawn Hedgepeth, chief marketing officer, HanesBrands. “We were impressed by Special’s strategic insights and craft, and look forward to creating meaningful brand stories together, injecting a youthful and fresh take on modern comfort."

The news of the Hanes win follows Special’s recent announcement of Amy Ferguson as partner and chief creative officer in New York, and Special being named Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year. 

Since Special launched in New Zealand and expanded to Australia, it has become Asia Pacific’s leading independent agency, producing work for clients such as Uber Eats, Pepsi, Virgin Australia, and ANZ Bank. The agency network expanded to include London and North American offices in Los Angeles and New York. In 2021 and 2023, Campaign UK recognised it as the Global Creative Agency of the Year, and WARC recently ranked Special as the #1 most effective independent network in the world.