chapter 5 159the art of creating and managing luxury fashion brands- Print media advertising found in various magazines such as the 2005
spring/summer and autumn/winter adverts of Versace that featured
Hollywood stars Madonna and Demi Moore respectively. - Television advertising such as the video clip advert of the Chanel No. 5
perfume featuring Nicole Kidman, which ran from 2004 to 2005. - Product use in movies and television programs, sitcoms and soap operas
such as the 1984 film American Gigolo, which was a showcase of Armani
designs and contributed to the global appeal of the brand. Other movie
brand promotion includes Legally Blond II for Jimmy Choo, Le Divorce
for Hermès, Miss Congeniality for Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana and the
sitcom Sex & The City, which patently promoted both Jimmy Choo and
Manolo Blahnik, among others. - Fashion spreads showing celebrities in the apparel and accessories of
luxury brands at different events and locations. - Photographs of paid celebrities casually using the products of a brand. This
tactic involves brands paying a highly photographed celebrity to appear
with their products in an indifferent manner indicating that the product and
brand is a part of their daily lives. Although this practice might be thought
uncommon in the luxury goods category, as luxury products are highly
desirable even to celebrities, it is frequently utilized. It is also highly effec-
tive as it portrays a true lifestyle which the public can relate to better than
a glossy advert. - Photographs of unpaid celebrities using the products of a brand. This is
called ‘gratis’ product placement. It occurs when a celebrity embraces a
product or a brand they truly like and visibly uses these products in public.
Since these celebrities are often photographed, they become promotional
tools and grant the brands exposure that yields both short-term benefits
and long-term rewards. This aspect of celebrity endorsement is however
becoming rare, as celebrities have got wise to their powerful influence
over consumers and increasingly use this influence to their own advantage. - The mention of luxury brands in music lyrics such as the inclusion of
Jimmy Choo in the lyrics of Beyoncé. Another example is that of Maria
Carey, who sang extensively of Louis Vuitton in her last album. In some
cases, luxury brands pay the musicians to mention them in songs while in
other rare cases the musicians voluntarily adopt the brands. Music celebrity
endorsement of brands is increasingly used by both luxury and non-luxury
brands. The concept has become so commonplace that a chart called The
American Brandstand Chart, has been created by a company that tracks the
mentions of brands in music lyrics. The chart indicates the hierarchy and
level of influence of the brands that have been mentioned in song lyrics. - Inviting celebrities to be co-creators and partners in designing specific
products. Japanese designer Samantha Thavasa adopted this strategy
through her collaborative bag designs with Beyoncé, Penelope Cruz,
Victoria Beckham, Maria Sharapova and Paris and Nicky Hilton. Louis