You probably remember exactly where you were when those photos hit. It was January 2024. A gray, miserable Thursday for most of us. Suddenly, your phone exploded with images of Jeremy Allen White—better known as the stressed-out chef Carmy from The Bear—stripping down on a New York City rooftop.
It wasn't just a regular ad. It was a cultural reset.
Calvin Klein has a history of doing this, honestly. They’ve been putting "it" boys in their underwear since Marky Mark in the '90s. But something about Jeremy felt different. Maybe it was the contrast of seeing the guy who usually wears a messy apron and a look of existential dread suddenly looking like a Greek god carved from marble.
The Ad That Broke the Internet (Literally)
The first campaign, shot by legendary photographer Mert Alas, wasn't complicated. That’s the genius of it. Jeremy walks through the streets of Manhattan, climbs some stairs, sheds his clothes, and does some casual pull-ups on a rusty rooftop. He ends up lounging on an orange velvet sofa—which, let’s be real, would be disgusting in real life on a NYC roof—surrounded by pigeons.
But on screen? It was pure magic.
The numbers were staggering. In just 48 hours, the campaign generated $12.7 million in Media Impact Value (MIV). For context, most luxury brands struggle to hit $2 million with a massive global launch. People weren't just looking; they were buying. The brand gained 100,000 followers on TikTok almost overnight. It turns out "The Bear" fans have a very specific type of brand loyalty.
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Not Just a One-Hit Wonder
Just when we thought we’d moved on, Calvin Klein doubled down. In August 2024, they dropped the second installment. This time, they swapped the gritty New York skyline for a sun-drenched pool in Los Angeles.
Different vibe, same chaos.
Instead of the moody "You Don't Own Me" soundtrack from the first ad, we got "Crimson and Clover" by The Shacks. Jeremy was poolside, rinsing off, hanging out with a dog, and wearing the new Fall 2024 denim collection. It felt less like a high-fashion shoot and more like a "rockstar-off-duty" moment. It’s that effortless Americana cool that Calvin Klein tries to bottle, and Jeremy—with his messy curls and quiet intensity—fits it better than almost anyone else in Hollywood right now.
How He Actually Got That Look
Let’s get into the weeds of how he actually prepped for this. Because honestly, nobody looks like that by accident.
Jeremy didn't just "go for a run." He was coming off the back of filming The Iron Claw, where he played professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich. To play that role, he had to put on about 40 pounds of muscle.
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His routine was basically a masterclass in discipline:
- Heavy Weightlifting: Think squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. No shortcuts.
- Calisthenics: He’s big on bodyweight stuff. Pull-ups (as seen in the ad), push-ups, and dips.
- The Diet: He told Esquire he was eating "plenty of fish" and basically eating all the time to keep the mass on. We're talking waffles with almond butter for breakfast and turkey patties throughout the day.
By the time the Calvin Klein cameras started rolling, he had leaned down from his wrestler bulk into a more "shredded" look, but the foundation was all that heavy lifting.
The "Carmy" Effect and Celebrity Reactions
The funniest part of this whole saga? His co-stars' reactions. At the 2024 Golden Globes, his The Bear co-star Ayo Edebiri was hounded by reporters asking her about the ads. Her response was legendary: "That’s my boy! I’m happy for him... but please, he's my coworker."
It highlights why the Jeremy Allen White Calvin Klein partnership worked so well. He isn't a traditional "pretty boy" model. He's an actor's actor. He’s the guy from Shameless who spent a decade playing a scrappy kid from the South Side. Seeing that grit transition into high-fashion sex symbol status created a "wait, him?" moment that fueled the virality.
What Most People Miss
People focus on the abs, but the real MVP of the first campaign was the color grade. The video has this cinematic, golden-hour glow that makes New York look like a dream rather than a humid concrete jungle. Colorist Simona Cristea was the one behind that "golden" look. Most CK ads are black and white. Breaking that tradition for Jeremy made the images pop on social media feeds that are usually cluttered with bright, saturated colors.
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Also, the clothing itself was a throwback. He wasn't just wearing any underwear; he was wearing the 90s Straight and Standard Straight jeans. The brand used Jeremy to signal a move away from skinny jeans and back to the relaxed, "nonchalant" fits of the early '90s.
Why This Partnership Still Matters in 2026
Fashion moves fast, but this specific collaboration changed the blueprint for how brands use actors. It wasn't about a scripted commercial; it was about capturing a vibe.
It also proved that "internet boyfriends" are the most valuable currency in marketing. Calvin Klein didn't just buy an ad; they bought a seat at the table of the cultural conversation. Even now, if you go to a bus shelter in a major city, there's a good chance you'll see a tattered remnant of a Jeremy Allen White poster. People literally stole them from the frames.
How to Get the Look (Without the Rooftop)
If you're looking to channel that specific energy, you don't necessarily need to do 50 pull-ups on a roof.
- The Fit: Stick to the basics. A high-quality white tank top (the "Carmy" staple) and straight-leg denim.
- The Grooming: It's all about the "undone" hair. Use a sea salt spray to get that textured, messy look that Jeremy is known for.
- The Confidence: The ads worked because Jeremy looked comfortable. He wasn't posing; he was just there.
If you're curious about the specific pieces he wore, look for the Modern Cotton Air line or the 90s Trucker Jacket. They’re the foundation of that "rockstar-off-duty" style that the Fall campaign leaned into so heavily.
For those trying to replicate his fitness results, start with the basics of calisthenics. You don't need a gym membership to do push-ups and lunges, but you do need the consistency he showed when prepping for his roles. Focus on functional movements rather than just bicep curls.
Check out the original campaign videos on Calvin Klein's official YouTube channel to see the cinematography and movement—it’s a masterclass in how lighting and music can transform a simple concept into a global phenomenon.