X Marks the Spot

Calvin Klein's new "X" Underwear campaign was revealed yesterday, and though the ads stick to the company's long history of using an A-team group of spokesmen models, its approach to digital advertising is new and ambitious. The diverse model mélange includes Kellan Lutz, the heartthrob vampire of Twilight fame, Spanish tennis star Fernando Verdasco, True Blood actor Mehcad Brooks and legendary Japanese soccer player and style icon Hidetoshi Nakata. The ads, shot by Mikael Jansson in New York, will separately feature each star sporting the graphic and snug undies that are already available in stores. Going far beyond the usual TV spot, digital ads will be directly connected to a homepage featuring exclusive behind the scenes footage from shoots, in-store visuals will be enhanced with QR codes that can be scanned by mobile phones linking buyers to related videos, and print ads will have interactive 3-D components.Stay tuned.