Soffe Names The Variable Agency of Record After Competitive Pitch

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Feb. 19, 2015 - PRLog -- The Variable, the Winston-Salem based advertising agency, was named agency of record for athletic apparel brand Soffe in a competitive pitch. The agency is leading all strategic and creative work, from brand positioning and planning to creative and media, across paid, earned and owned channels, for the brand and its full portfolio of young women’s, men’s, and military athletic apparel lines.

“We have some fantastic opportunities in front of us, and we need a dynamic marketing partner to help us maximize them,” said Rod McGeachy, president, Soffe. “The Variable literally blew us away. They uncovered an insight and strategy so rich we’re re-positioning our entire brand around it, and they developed a captivating creative platform to bring it to life across all our apparel lines.”

The agency combined its proprietary search and social algorithms with quantitative and qualitative research to deeply understand functional and emotional needs related to working out. This led to creative work that is deeply resonant with Soffe’s target audience and markedly different from competitors’ advertising.

“The Variable is helping us to tell our story in a way that’s far beyond an advertising campaign, and authentically reflects who our core consumers really are and what they really want,” said Paul Anderson, marketing director, Soffe. “The agency is helping us launch a completely re-imagined narrative for our brand.”

Soffe’s new brand positioning and creative campaign – “The Strength Is In Us” – launches in February to support the introduction of the new young women’s Spring product line.

“This is a great ‘David and Goliath’ story in the making, with the likes of Nike and Under Armour playing the role of Goliath,” said Joe Parrish, partner and chief creative officer, The Variable. “Instead of focusing on Goliath’s size, David focused on his own unique strength. Of course we’re going to be outspent by Soffe’s competition in this category, but we never want to be outthought.”

This chip-on-the-shoulder mentality stood out to the Soffe team as an energizing shot to the arm.

“I’m really proud of our team’s passion and the thinking that helped us earn the business against really tough competition,” said David Mullen, director, account management, The Variable. “Helping shape Soffe’s transformation is a tremendous opportunity that will continue driving our excitement and creativity even further.”

For more information about The Variable, its client roster and to view case studies of the agency’s recent work, please visit www.TheVariable.com.

About The Variable

One part great strategy. One part great idea. Two parts flawless execution. A sprinkling of fear. And a healthy dose of why-haven’t-we-seen-this-before? That is The Variable’s secret sauce. If ‘craftvertising’ were a word, The Variable would own it. The agency love ideas that aren’t homogenized, commoditized and over-resourcized. Its team learned lots of great stuff at big agencies. But the most important thing they learned was that great advertising needed a more progressive model. They’re a nimble group of the best and the brightest, brought together to create ideas that are cut close to the bone and 100 percent free from groupthink. The result is brilliant creative platforms, activation ideas, messaging strategies, product innovations and business ideas that are custom made, carefully delivered, never-seen-before pieces of unforgettable emotion. For more information, visit: www.TheVariable.com.

About M.J. Soffe

M. J. Soffe is a high-performance athletic apparel company that was established in 1946. Known for its technology that focuses on fit, Soffe is a leader in the market for young women’s athletic apparel, and features a diverse portfolio of high-quality activewear apparel for young women, men and children. Soffe products are available at specialty and boutique shops, upscale and traditional department stores, mid-tier retailers, sporting goods stores and online at www.Soffe.com. The company is also a leading athletic apparel supplier to the U.S. Military. The company’s main operations are located at its headquarters in Fayetteville, NC. M.J. Soffe was acquired by Delta Apparel, Inc. (NYSE MKT: DLA) in 2003, and is among Delta’s other operating subsidiaries including Salt Life Holdings LLC and Junk Food Clothing Company. For more information, visit www.Soffe.com.