On Sunday, I took my pants off on the subway. It wasn’t because I spilled my coffee or because I was trying to make a statement, it was because Improv Everywhere held their annual “No Pants Subway Ride.”
Improv Everywhere is the group behind the MP3 Experiments and Frozen In Grand Central. In their own words, they’re a group of people who “cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places.”
This was the 9th year that Improv Everywhere (IE) agents took their pants off on the subway and it has grown exponentially in size since its inception. While at first it started as a couple of friends, IE estimates that over 3,000 New Yorkers participated on Sunday.
A No-Pants Participant on Sunday
The past couple of years, “Pro Pants” evangelists have come to Union Square (where the pantless subway riders converge) to hand out pamphlets about the greatness of pants. I got invitations to no less than 12 after parties post the pantless riding. And yet – despite the subculture that has grown around this event – it has remained 100% unbranded.
As we move into 2010, I anticipate that more and more brands will focus on organic experiential efforts. Instead of focusing on new efforts, brands will take a deeper look into where consumers are already taking part. This is the new marketing: Connecting with consumers authentically in places they already are goes beyond Twitter and Facebook – which have now become traditional social media outlets.
A quick search shows that there were 11k+ tweets relating to the event and nearly 1,200 blog posts. My prediction? Next year there will be a brand involved in some way. So Levis – Go Forth! Gap – Get Together! What are you waiting for?
No Pants 2010 Mission Recap and Highlights here.
Without proof of your participation, I can only assume you were an observer.
I’ve been offered sponsorship deals for No Pants in the past from both pants and underwear brands. Nope. Not gonna happen. I’m not totally against sponsorship across the board, but No Pants is not for sale. It’s an institution.
Hi Charlie!
Thanks for reading the post!
I actually wasn’t referring specifically to a brand sponsorship. From participating the past couple of years, I don’t know if I would really dig seeing “Hanes’ brings No Pants 2k10 to cities near you.”
What I do think would be cool, however, would be for brands to take part organically. If I were Starbucks, I would make sure we were giving out free coffee in Union Square to help warm up the pantless riders. If I were Gap or Levi’s, I would join forces with the Pro Pants groups to help provide them with funds for their supplies. If I were Victoria’s Secret or an underwear company, I would partner with Foursquare and sponsor a badge that people got when checking in to Union Square with no pants.
Instead of taking over the little bit of culture or trying to “own” it, brands would instead be supporting consumers in something they’re already passionate about.
Thanks again for stopping by – And thanks so much for continuing to organize No Pants year after year! I look forward to future Improv Everywhere with or without pants