David Beckham reclining in Armani briefs and Mark Wahlberg gripping the waistband of his Calvins belong to different chapters of the same advertising history. Male underwear models have helped turn an everyday purchase into an image of the man someone might want to be, or simply want to look at.
The most memorable underwear ads for men sell that attraction as confidently as the product. The famous Calvin Klein underwear models range from professional faces to pop stars, a casting mix that runs through the wider business of men’s designer underwear.
Men’s Underwear Ads
Footballers brought physiques built on the pitch. Actors arrived with characters audiences already knew, while professional models could become famous through the photograph itself. Each brought a different reason to remember the waistband.
David Beckham for Emporio Armani, H&M & BOSS
David Beckham gave Emporio Armani the full matinee-idol treatment, reclining against white bedding in an image built around deep shadows and white briefs. His later bodywear collaboration with H&M moved that appeal toward the everyday wardrobe. In a fitted T-shirt and trunks, Beckham made the basics look like a recognizable personal uniform. The football career supplied the physique; his fashion career supplied the camera sense.
His 2025 BOSS ONE Bodywear campaign extended that history. Mert & Marcus photographed Beckham in black trunks, his tattoos now as recognizable as his face. BOSS gave an established underwear star another chapter, with the appeal resting on a man whose audience had aged alongside him.
Mark Wahlberg for Calvin Klein
The backward cap was almost as important as the underwear. Mark Wahlberg appeared as Marky Mark in Calvin Klein’s 1992 campaign, giving white boxer briefs the confrontational attitude of a young music star. The hand at the waistband became part of the image’s vocabulary, turning a practical elastic band into something worth imitating.
Freddie Ljungberg for Calvin Klein
Freddie Ljungberg made his Calvin Klein debut in 2003, while playing for Arsenal. Against a red backdrop, his close-cropped hair and direct stare gave the advertisement a harder edge. Football fitness became fashion currency, with the logo sitting beneath a body whose athletic credentials were already established.
Cristiano Ronaldo for Emporio Armani & CR7
Cristiano Ronaldo treated the underwear portrait with the same physical precision associated with his football. The raised arm and sculpted torso in his Emporio Armani image turned a standing pose into a study of muscle and shadow. Black briefs kept the composition tightly focused, with the branded waistband cutting across the monochrome photograph.
Ronaldo later put his own initials at the waist with CR7. Its 2013 launch turned an established underwear face into the star of his own label. Giampaolo Sgura photographed the launch campaign, with contrast piping and a prominent CR7 band making the ownership clear.
Italian Footballers & Lionel Messi for Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana took the team photograph into underwear advertising, lining up Italian footballers in a tiled changing area. The matching “Calcio” waistbands connected the product directly to the sport. Lionel Messi’s 2013 campaign adopted a more private setting, placing him in front of an ornate mirror. The team spirit gave way to the individual star, with white underwear making a clear focal point against the elaborate interior.
Rafael Nadal for Tommy Hilfiger
Rafael Nadal brought a tennis player’s tension to Tommy Hilfiger’s fall-winter 2016 underwear imagery. Photographed by Mikael Jansson, he pulled an oversized elastic waistband across a blue backdrop. The red, white, and blue stripes became part of the action, making the branding as athletic as the man wearing it.
Luca Dotto for Emporio Armani
Luca Dotto’s swimming career gave Emporio Armani another route into athletic casting. The Italian swimmer appeared in the Emporio Armani spring-summer 2014 Campaign, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura. A towel lifted behind his head and a tiled backdrop suggested the moment after a swim, bringing the advertisement close to the activity that had shaped its star.
Nolan Gerard Funk for Versace
Nolan Gerard Funk fronted the Versace spring-summer 2014 Men’s Campaign, photographed by Mert & Marcus. Versace’s Greek-key waistband gave the black briefs an unmistakable identity. A chain at the neck and an arm lifted behind his head added the actor’s youthful attitude to a composition that treated the body like sculpture.
Joe Jonas for GUESS
By the time of GUESS’ spring-summer 2017 underwear campaign, Joe Jonas had moved well beyond his teen-pop introduction. Reclining on a leather sofa in fitted boxer briefs, he adopted the brand’s sultry advertising language. The warm brown setting gave the picture the atmosphere of a late-night portrait.
After Nick Jonas posed for his 2014 Flaunt shoot, complete with a Mark Wahlberg-style waistband grab, you could have been forgiven for betting on Nick to land the underwear campaign. GUESS booked his brother.
Calvin Harris for Emporio Armani
Calvin Harris appeared in Emporio Armani’s 2015 underwear campaign with a directness that suited its minimal setting. White briefs with black trim drew attention to the cut, while his upright pose let his height and lean build define the photograph. The DJ stepped away from the equipment and became the image himself.
Justin Bieber for Calvin Klein
Justin Bieber brought tattoos and an enormous pop audience to his 2015 Calvin Klein Underwear campaign. Mert & Marcus photographed the singer in black and white, linking him visually to the brand’s earlier music-star casting. The white briefs and prominent waistband were established territory; Bieber’s body art made the portrait specific to him.
Travis Fimmel & Jamie Dornan for Calvin Klein
Before Vikings, Travis Fimmel was recognizable for his Calvin Klein photographs. Long hair and bright window light gave his underwear portrait an almost disarming softness, even as the pose emphasized his physique. The image helped build the public identity that his acting career later transformed.
Jamie Dornan appeared in Calvin Klein Underwear imagery in 2009, photographed by Steven Klein. Hard sunlight and a sharply defined shadow gave his standing pose a more architectural treatment, years before Fifty Shades of Grey made him a leading man.
Antonio Sabato Jr. for Calvin Klein
Antonio Sabato Jr. was one of Calvin Klein’s recognizable underwear faces of the 1990s. His black briefs and the low-key lighting concentrated attention on the body, with the brand name printed across the photograph.
KJ Apa & Taylor Zakhar Perez for Lacoste
KJ Apa became Lacoste’s underwear ambassador in 2022, bringing his profile from Riverdale to the crocodile. Reclining in a chair in white trunks with a blue-green waistband, he gave the campaign a domestic informality. The pose felt closer to an off-duty afternoon than a sporting event, even with the brand’s athletic heritage attached.
Taylor Zakhar Perez followed with Lacoste underwear campaigns that put the actor inside the brand’s own world. In 2026’s “Crocodile Style” campaign, Angelo Pennetta photographed him among green lockers and white tiles. A white polo worn with green trunks made the connection to the rest of the Lacoste wardrobe particularly clear. The Red, White & Royal Blue actor brought the screen appeal, while the crocodile and tennis-club setting supplied the identity.
Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein
Jeremy Allen White took Calvin Klein underwear onto a New York rooftop for the brand’s spring 2024 campaign. Mert Alas photographed the actor known for The Bear in a setting that exchanged the studio for brickwork and a city skyline. Seated in black trunks with an apple in hand, White brought a rougher, neighborhood character to the underwear portrait.
Bad Bunny for Calvin Klein
Bad Bunny’s spring 2025 Calvin Klein campaign placed the Puerto Rican musician in Icon Cotton Stretch underwear, photographed by Mario Sorrenti. Mirrors multiplied his figure, making the act of looking part of the composition. His tattoos and raised-arm poses gave the white boxer briefs a specific personality, with the campaign photographed in Puerto Rico.
Robert Irwin for Bonds
Robert Irwin brought his wildlife credentials to Bonds for “Made for Down Under” in 2025. The campaign accompanied the Australian label’s U.S. launch, putting underwear into scenes shared with reptiles. A snake draped over his shoulders made the wildlife connection particularly clear, while white boxer briefs kept the product in view. Irwin’s established comfort around animals gave the joke its logic.
Thomas Ceccon for Emporio Armani
Thomas Ceccon continued Emporio Armani’s relationship with swimmers in its fall-winter 2026 underwear campaign. Giampaolo Sgura photographed him among lockers and benches, smiling in patterned boxers with a towel in hand. The sporting setting linked the Olympic swimmer to his day job, while the sociable staging let the campaign enjoy his company as much as his physique.
Jude Bellingham for Calvin Klein
Jude Bellingham brought his signature arms-out goal celebration to his 2026 Calvin Klein underwear campaign. Oliver Hadlee Pearch photographed and directed the Madrid shoot, which launched in November. White briefs and hard shadows gave his athletic build a sculptural treatment. The celebration supplied something a studio pose could rarely invent, a gesture football fans already associated with him.
Fashion Models in Underwear Campaigns
Professional models gave these advertisements their own range of characters. A change in expression or setting could move the same basic garment from sporty to seductive, with a designer’s visual language deciding the mood.
David Gandy for Wellwear
David Gandy returned to underwear advertising in 2025 as both the face and founder of David Gandy Wellwear. His Wellwear underwear campaign put him in plain trunks, with soft light defining the cotton basics. David’s physique remained part of the attraction, but the name at the waist now belonged to him. The model had become the proprietor.
Michael Yerger for SKIMS
Michael Yerger modeled for SKIMS in 2025 men’s campaign imagery, photographed by Hugh Wilson. Muted teal trunks put the cut and fit in full view, with one arm lifted behind his head. Against a white background, Michael’s direct gaze and the close-fitting fabric gave the soft basics the attention usually reserved for a more theatrical setup.
Garrett Neff for BOSS
Garrett Neff brought color to BOSS’ spring 2015 Bodywear campaign, wearing a blue tank and matching boxer briefs. Seated against a white wall, Garrett looked as though he had paused between exercises. The diagonal shadow and black waistband gave the coordinated set definition, with the tank making bodywear feel like a complete outfit.
Chad White for BOSS
Chad White appeared in BOSS’ 2015 underwear campaign, photographed by Collier Schorr. Balanced on one arm in black boxer briefs, Chad brought an acrobatic tension to the studio image. The pose showed strength in use, with the tilted body giving a basic pair of trunks an unexpectedly dynamic presentation.
Tyson Beckford for Polo Ralph Lauren
Tyson Beckford brought his athletic build to Polo Ralph Lauren’s 1998 underwear campaign. White boxer briefs and a lifted white tank sat against an outdoor waterside setting. The image kept the label’s American sportswear identity intact, taking the underwear portrait into the open air.
Alex Lundqvist & Tobias Sorensen for BOSS
BOSS approached bodywear with the controlled presentation associated with its tailoring. Alex Lundqvist reclined in black trunks, while Tobias Sorensen appeared seated in white underwear. Both black-and-white portraits gave the models’ physiques a precise, composed treatment, with a logo waistband taking the place of a shirt label or jacket lining.
Tomas Skoloudik & Jason Morgan for Emporio Armani
Tomas Skoloudik appeared in the Emporio Armani fall-winter 2012 Underwear Campaign, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura. His hand near his mouth introduced a playful gesture to the studio portrait.
Jason Morgan’s fall-winter 2015 image returned to a reclining pose, placing black briefs against a shadowy interior. The eagle at the waist remained the shared signature.
Matthew Terry & Myles Crosby for Calvin Klein
Matthew Terry fronted the Calvin Klein spring-summer 2013 Underwear Campaign, with Steven Klein photographing the Concept line. The mechanical setting gave his physique an industrial frame. In a separate campaign image with Myles Crosby, blue and pink trunks against an intense blue backdrop showed how far color could push the brand’s basic formula.
Jeremy Young for Paul Smith
Jeremy Young appeared in the Paul Smith 2010 Underwear Campaign, wearing low-rise white briefs. Paul Smith’s photograph kept the surroundings simple, letting the bright fabric and branded waistband do the work. Jeremy’s sideways glance made the portrait feel momentarily interrupted.
Linus Gustin for John Galliano
The John Galliano spring-summer 2013 Underwear Campaign put Linus Gustin in patterned boxer briefs, photographed by Sebastian Kim. John Galliano’s print and oversized lettering gave the image a restless, youthful character. Color became part of the seduction, extending the personality of the clothes to their most private layer.
Stephen James & Brent Clancy for Philipp Plein
Stephen James and Brent Clancy wrestled in Philipp Plein’s underwear campaign for spring-summer 2014. Steven Klein’s photography turned Philipp Plein’s black trunks into fight-scene costume. Tattoos and bodies locked in combat gave the advertisement a theatrical aggression, with spectators completing the scene.
Cory Bond for Michael Kors
Cory Bond fronted Michael Kors’ 2012 Underwear Campaign, photographed by Enrique Badulescu. Michael Kors used a close black-and-white composition and a second figure to suggest intimacy. Cory’s smile gave the image a flirtatious tone, while the black underwear kept the styling direct.
Simone Nobili for Moschino
Simone Nobili took a fighting stance for the Moschino fall-winter 2012 Underwear Campaign. Stefano Galuzzi photographed him in red trunks beneath repeated Moschino lettering. The repeated figure made the pose into a graphic pattern, giving the campaign the punch of a poster.
Will Chalker for GANT
Will Chalker appeared in the Gant fall 2011 Underwear Campaign, wearing navy-and-white striped trunks. A leather chair, bags, and a bright window placed him among the possessions of a recognizable wardrobe. GANT’s sportswear outlook extended naturally to underwear, with stripes providing the strongest design detail.
Miro Moreira for Roberto Cavalli
Miro Moreira gave the Roberto Cavalli spring-summer 2011 Underwear Campaign an animated expression, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura. Roberto Cavalli’s gold-toned waistband stood out against black trunks and a warm backdrop. The image approached underwear with the same appetite for display associated with the label’s evening clothes.
Tyler Maher for Diesel
Diesel put Tyler Maher in pink trunks for its 2016 underwear campaign, using a bathroom mirror to show the cut from two angles. The selfie gesture gave the image a casual, self-aware character. Here, the wearer seemed fully aware of his own appeal and happy to document it.
Matt Woodhouse for Dsquared2
Matt Woodhouse appeared in Dsquared2 underwear imagery photographed by Steven Klein. Bent forward in white briefs and sunglasses, he gave the campaign a pose that was difficult to mistake for an ordinary product photograph. The oversized announcement across the image matched the physical provocation.
Clinton Weber & David Nutley for Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood gave underwear advertising an eccentric social life. Clinton Weber appeared with a dog in the Vivienne Westwood Underwear fall 2010 Campaign, photographed by Sean & Seng. The animal made the portrait unexpectedly affectionate, with printed briefs sharing attention with a wet nose.
The duo also photographed David Nutley for the Vivienne Westwood Underwear fall 2009 Campaign. Pink underwear and striped socks became part of a staged encounter, with another figure apparently attending to his hair. Even at its most undressed, Westwood’s world had characters, clothes, and something slightly odd going on.
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