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Casual Male Fights a Flabby Image

The retailer focuses on brand-building to combat the big-man stigma.

Let's face it: If Casual Male (Nasdaq: CMRG) were a person, he'd be decidedly plus-sized. That image has served the company well, since its stores represent one of the few options bigger men have when buying clothes. Male-focused retailers such as Jos. A. Bank (Nasdaq: JOSB) and Men's Wearhouse (NYSE: MW) have yet to really cater to the 48-to-50-inch waistline that Casual Male targets.

While lack of competition has allowed Casual Male to dominate this specialty retailer niche, the company does struggle with its body image. The brand is afflicted by the fat-man stigma; "smaller" men with 42-to-46-inch waistlines are reluctant to become customers, since the Casual Male name implies a large figure.

Casual Male has attempted to change its image in the past, most notably by removing "Big&Tall" from its logo and replacing it with "XL." The company is also gearing up to launch a new advertising campaign focused on the 42-to-46-inch waistline market, which makes up an estimated 75% of the $6 billion big-and-tall segment. These ads, scheduled to launch tomorrow, will feature New England Patriots 305-pound offensive tackle Matt Light, as well as a host of other models who maintain an athletic -- yet slightly bulky -- look. The new campaign is "all part of the master plan," according to Casual Male CEO David Levin.

Wall Street has punished the company for its disappointing quarterly results, with shares falling more than 60% in the past year. Last quarter, Casual Male's poor results stemmed primarily from an 8% reduction in traffic. However, same-store sales fell only 0.3%, a suggestion that visitors really liked what they saw.

Repositioning Casual Male's brand image could considerably help drive more customers into the stores. If the ad campaign is a success, shareholders might be greatly rewarded, and the only thing fat about Casual Male could be the profits the company starts reeling in.

Fool contributor Ryan Freund would love to see David Ortiz and/or Manny Ramirez in a Casual Male commercial. He does not own any shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article. The Fool's disclosure policy never needs to throw its weight around.