Ray Ban 'Never Hide' campaign (launched Spring / Summer 2007)

Big Fan. Huge. Love it.
Yup I’m that easy - an attention grabbing photo with a quirky caption and you have me at hello.

http://www.ray-ban.com

 

I'm with stupid....

Diesel Spring/Summer 2010 advertising campaign.
Love it.

http://www.diesel.com/be-stupid

8/2/10: Where are the Plus Size Men?

There’s been a furore over plus size female models, but what about plus size men? Have they been overlooked or are men just generally more accepted at a larger size?

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/where-are-the-plus-size-men/

 

The furore over the use of unrealistically sized female models is gradually abating as women are being represented in the fashion world in a more relatable way, which takes into account that there are more sizes than zero. For females, a plus size is usually anything over a UK size 18. Whilst the fashions worlds’ view of a plus size female is still slightly skewed they have at least taken steps towards altering the size and shape of females that they present to us. Please note the use of the word skewed though, as in the modelling world a plus size model is more likely to be represented by a size 14 model than an actual plus size model.

Nevertheless, these steps together with the continuing championing of a larger female size in the media, means that plus size females are no longer airbrushed out by the fashion or media industries. For evidence of the changes that have been wrought, look no further than V Magazines’ January 2010 ‘Size Issue’ with shots such as this one illustrating the mindset that big is beautiful too.

V Magazine's 'Size issue'

There’s no doubt that the media and fashion are now championing the plus size female cause. But what about the plus size men? A plus size man is generally defined as anyone over a size UK XL. The issue of the plus size man and how he is depicted in the media and fashion has not been raised in any significant way to date. A quick Google search yields none of the debate associated with plus size women so what does this mean? Have men been forgotten about? Or are men simply more accepted at a larger size?

Are men accepted at a larger size?

Men‘s size is not seen in such simplistic terms as women’s size. Until now women have been led to believe often believe that the size they need to be is the smallest size possible because the images that have been presented to them. However the majority of men do not have this fat / thin mentality. It would seem that being a plus size man does not carry as much stigma as being a plus size woman.

The reason there is less stigma attached to being a plus size man is that men are presented a different body ideal to live up to. This can be seen in the precedence of body shape over body size in the images presented of men. Although the body shape presented on the catwalks in usually quite thin, the ideal male body presented to us is not necessarily thin.

However whilst men may be seen as acceptable at a larger size, this too is limited to a certain sort of shape. Which is why you don’t see Kellogg’s promoting a ‘Little Red Suit’ challenge, but you do see stacks of health supplements calling to men from health shop windows touting promises like muscle gain.

However, the lack of plus sized men is not limited to the fashion industry, its spreads right across many different areas – two of which, advertising and entertainment, demonstrate that whilst men’s bodies may not be the subject of the intense scrutiny women are subject to, this is not necessarily a good thingfrom the perspective of making the fashion industry even more inclusive.

The Advertising Industry

A svelte Calvin Klein model

Plus size men are rarely seen in advertising. The way men are portrayed in advertising, as with women, has nothing to do with reality but rather the message advertisers are trying to put across and who they are trying to put it across to. So for example, L’Oreal Paris used Pierce Brosnan as the spokesperson for their male grooming range as he appeals to women and their husbands who want to be him. Ditto David Beckham and the Armani underwear ads. Plus sized men can be seen selling plus sized clothes in clothing catalogues but apart from that advertising, as always, perpetuates an image that is little reflection of reality.

Men on Screen

The entertainment industry is a good example of how larger men are depicted in the media. Men and women, for better or worse, are not portrayed the same way. In the media and films and many other areas of life, women’s appearance and size has always been focused on more.

The storyline of Shallow Hal was incredible to many because the plus size woman was considered to be beautiful by one man, albeit under the influence of hypnosis. However, the beautiful Katherine Heigl falling for a pudgy Seth Rogen in Knocked Up barely raised an eyebrow.

Heigl and Rogen in Knocked Up

So, plus size male models are inevitable?

The fact that men’s appearance is not as discussed a topic means that plus size men are becoming more and more marginalised by the fashion industry. The fat / thin stigma is the root of the plus size female model controversy and led to the subsequent acceptance of larger female sizes by the fashion industry. However, just because plus size men are not as stigmatised as plus size women, this does not mean they are any less marginalised.

Men have been overlooked because they haven’t demanded to be taken into account, and these industries aren’t going to automatically include them. The achievement of a plus size female model industry followed a battle hard fought and it will be the same for plus size men should they decide to take up the fight

8/1/10 - The Advertising Overload

Sick of advertisements? Who isn’t? We take a look at some of the more original ways that advertisers got us to pay attention to their products in 2009.

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/advertising-overload/

The bright lights of too many ads

We’re bombarded with advertisements practically every single waking moment of our lives. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that advertisers have been successful in raising awareness of their products. In fact, the more accustomed we are to advertisements the less attention we pay to them. Commercial breaks are an excuse for a cup of tea, magazine ads are flicked past, and billboards barely register on our conscious aside from being a colourful distraction as we drive along the motorway. Because of this, advertisers have been forced to consider different strategies to attract our attention. From offering jobs to simply entertaining us, advertising is becoming even more inventive and original. Here we take a look at a few of 2009’s memorable advertising moments.

Flash Mobs

The social craze of flash mobs has been hijacked by advertisers to promote their products. Using a flash mob as an advertising tool works because their primary function is to surprise and entertain thus grabbing consumer’s attention. Another reason that flash mobs are excellent advertising tools is that they tend to go viral within hours, or even minutes, of happening. T Mobile used this fact to their advantage by organising a flash mob in London’s Liverpool station last January in which 400 dancers, camouflaged within the crowd, broke in to a choreographed dance routine which can be seen here. News of the campaign, which appropriately enough had the tagline ‘Life’s for sharing’, spread immediately through the internet and the commercial aired on UK television the next day gaining valuable publicity for T-Mobile. Another memorable example of a flash mob used an advertising tool was 100 dancers performing ‘ Single Ladies’ at London’s Piccadilly Circus to promote the announcement of Trident gums sponsoring of a free Beyonce gig last April. The footage which can be seen here was diffused worldwide by consumers, successfully capitalising on both the flash mob craze and the success of Beyonce’s song.

Wannabe Beyoncés take to Piccadilly

Most recently, Fox television staged a flash mob in a shopping mall in Rome two days before the launch of Glee on Italian television. The stunt gained publicity not only in within the new market of Italy but with existing fans throughout the world for the amazing medley of songs from the TV show performed by the dancers.

I want that job

The 2009 Tourism Queensland campaign was another unique way to advertise a product – in this case the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The tourist board opened applications for a 6 month island caretaker position on Hamilton Island which was rent free and paid a wage of €150,000 to the lucky winner. The ‘Best Job in The World’ entailed living and working on Hamilton Island for six months whilst exploring the rest of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef and reporting back on them via the island caretaker blog. Nice work if you can get it! The campaign attracted worldwide attention with over 34,000 people applying for the job and many more talking about it. Another lesser known example of this style of advertising is National Railway Museum in York (England) appointing a train mad 6 year old as its ‘Director of Fun’ in August. The boy’s parents saw an advertisement for a new director of the museum and teased their son about applying. He then write a letter to the museum and museum staff were so taken with his letter that they appointed him their ‘Director of Fun.’ Yet another inventive way to attract the public’s attention, but this time by tugging on their heart strings. If only Cadbury’s had taken note that my dream job was to be a chocolate tester when I was younger…

Social networking

Ikea was another company to advertise in a unique way this year, this time through the medium of facebook. However rather than simply set up a facebook fan page and wait for people to become a fan they took a more inventive approach to promote the opening of a new store in Sweden.

IKEA hits Facebook

They created a facebook profile for the store manager who people were encourage to befriend. Then over a two week period, photos of Ikea showrooms were added to an album on his facebook profile. His friends were then invited to tag products in the photos. The first person to tag their name to a product on the pictures won it. Their photo tagging activity spread to their facebook newsfeed and though their posted links and comments thus letting more and more people know about the competition and consequently the opening of the new store. Through this ingenious use of the photo tagging system, Ikea made many people willing ambassadors for Ikea and their new store.

What next?

From flash mobs to jobs, advertising in 2009 was certainly different and only time will tell what 2010 brings. But one thing is certain; advertising is one industry that has no excuse for standing still in these recessionary times as advertisers are work harder to keep ensure satisfied and entertained customers. Who says recessions are all bad?

1/12/09 - Sartorial Salaries

We look at the success of The Sartorialist and see how other street style bloggers can follow in his fashionable footsteps and convert their blogs into profitable businesses….

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/sartorial-salaries/

Scott Schuman, better known as The Sartorialist, is one of the most famous street style bloggers out there. He is also the leader in demonstrating how street style bloggers can convert their blog’s popularity into a presumably profitable business model.

Aside from the ubiquitous advertising banners which feature on his website he also works on projects outside of his blog to monetise on his success. He writes for style.com and has a monthly page in men’s magazine, GQ.

Schuman has taken the simple street style concept off the pages of the internet, past the glossy mag and onto our coffee tables; he has published a book of his favourite shots featured on his website, The Sartorialist. Furthermore, his indisputable success as a fashion commentator – both of commercial fashion and street style – has gotten the fashion houses interested and several have incorporated Schuman into their advertising campaigns in a bid to use his blog’s popularity and photographic skills to enhance their brand.

In 2008 he featured in Gap’s autumn/winter advertising campaign as a model; he shot DKNY’S spring/summer advertising campaign 2009, and this year he shot images for Burberry’s trench campaign.

The Sartorialist for Gap

As the example of The Sartorialist shows, street style bloggers are in a position to reap the benefits of their popularity and monetise their enterprises as other websites, fashion brands, publishing houses, and even tourist boards are starting to recognise their influence. With street style blogs from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv, there’s never been a better time for bloggers to look to Schumann and learn.

Advertising

This is perhaps the most obvious way street style bloggers can make money simply by featuring advertising on their websites. However beyond featuring advertisements for clothing lines or fashion websites, street style blogs may be able to capitalise on technology which enables readers to identify where they can buy similar clothes to those they like in their photos.

Like.com pioneers visual search

Street style blogs tend not to feature where the subject’s clothes come from but with Like.com you can find similar clothing to what you’re admiring online. Like.com allows you to shop using a visual search tool – you draw a box around the specific detail, shape,colour or pattern you like. Then you conduct a visual search to find items which match the criteria. So if you find yourself craving the sneakers worn by some random person in Barcelona instead of searching the internet yourself you can enter a cropped picture of said sneakers and let them do the hard work.

This is one website that shows the potential that exists for street style bloggers to make money from their website content. By connecting to a search engine like this sales could be traced back to their site and they could charge for the advertising provided. Savvy bloggers and businesses that experiment with ideas such as these may reap the benefits in the years to come.

Fashion partnerships

Partnerships between street style bloggers and the fashion industry are not surprising. After all street style bloggers write because they love fashion. Often, however street style blogs provide a stark contrast to the typical view of the fashion world as the preserve of the rich, excessively thin and beautiful as they focus on capturing the style of real people in the street going about their everyday lives. Street style blogs are inclusive; anyone can appear on their pages or read and comment on them. This inclusivity is a major part of their appeal. The popularity and unstoppable growth of these blogs provides an irresistible lure for fashion brands who want to use this popularity to their brand’s advantage.

Additionally, from a business perspective, drawing attention to your brand is always a positive. Ungaro’s use of Lindsay Lohan as a fashion designer is debatable but her success as a marketing tool, drawing attention to the brand is indisputable. But if you want to bring attention to the brand in a more positive way, why not team up with someone who actually knows and loves fashion? A partnership with a well known street style blogger may well be the answer. The Sartorialist’s partnership with Burberry is an interesting example of this.

Art of the Trench by Burberry

Burberry, recognising the popularity of street style and the power of social media, has launched an advertising campaign titled Art of the Trench dedicated to its iconic trench coat. The campaign features photos from Schuman, with photographs from more street style bloggers to follow. It invites followers to submit stories to demonstrate both how much they love their trench and how they wear it, through the brand’s interactive website. Burberry then selects its favourites to be featured on the site. As per the street style model, photographs must be taken outside and must, of course, feature a Burberry trench coat. Readers of the site can leave a comment or share the image. They can also click to ‘like’ the image and the photographs can be sorted by popularity, style, colour, gender or even weather!

Simply by interacting with customers through social media, Burberry has made a genius marketing move by letting their customers participate in their advertising campaign as they now seem more approachable as a brand. An engaged audience is far better than a passive audience however only time will tell whether their 705,000 facebook fans and numerous user-submitted photos will translate into higher sales for both the trench and the brand

Putting Antwerp on the shopping map

Given that the majority of street style blogs provide a snapshot of life in any particular city it’s no surprise that the appeal of street style bloggers has been latched onto by tourism marketers.

In October a group of eight street style/fashion bloggers from the UK, France, and Netherlands travelled to Antwerp for a weekend trip to participate in a Fashion Treasure Hunt themed event around the city. The bloggers were invited by the Antwerp Tourist Board and their trip features on the website designed to attract tourists to Antwerp’s shopping district. From the organisers perspective the objective of their visit was to showcase Antwerp as a stylish tourist and shopping destination and the coverage provided by these bloggers is far reaching in terms of their audience as all bloggers are relatively well known within the street style world.

So does this mean that we will be soon seeing partnerships between street style bloggers and their respective tourism boards, will Dublin Streets soon by sponsored by Dublin Tourism? Again, we can only speculate but for tourism boards it’s an interesting way to spread your products message especially to consumers you may not usually reach.

Enterprising bloggers

Of course some bloggers have taken matters into their own hands, rather than wait for offers to come to them; they are actively trying to monetise their blogs. A number of street style bloggers offer their services as photographers but the most interesting proposition I’ve seen so far was from Style and the City. The French blogger proposed a project to Starbucks in which she hoped to organise a worldwide Style and the City contest which would feature Starbucks in the background of street style photographs with a prize of a year’s worth of free Starbucks for the subject of the winning photo. Whilst her proposal was rejected by Starbucks, her original idea and initiative demonstrates just how many different ways there are for bloggers to diversify.

But where will it stop? Fashion, tourism, coffee, what next? There’s no doubt that street style bloggers are coming out of the internet and into the mainstream in droves, but only time will tell how many manage to convert their blogs into businesses and sustain them.