The phenomenon has taken an international scale

April 7, 2012 12:00 AM

Brain, offset, good fleurant sulphur... The last campaign of pub H & M, highlighting the collection designed by Madonna, looks like everything... except a campaign H & M. and this is, of course, deliberate. The Swedish distributor Hennes & Mauritz indeed temporarily abandoned his usual classic creations (beautiful plants posing in swimsuits) to make room for a poisonous duo: the mistress Pygmalion inflicting a lesson of how a young Asian disciple fell under the spell. In a long TV spot, Madonna taught him as well, and sometimes enjôleuse "I like you" "you re not thinking" sometimes brittle to build his own look... with the new collection H & M. faithful to its legendary opacity, the Swedish firm, who turns 60 this year, discloses nothing of the amount of this campaign.

You like then, or is hate. But they can hardly be indifferent "fashionistas", the middle of the creators and more, of the distribution. Even if the real marketing mutation is not deliberately disruptive tone of the spot: after he began three years ago, a series of collaborations with creators sharp Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCarney, Viktor & Rolf, and since last year, Madonna , H & M broadcasts, whenever and as brief way, staggered advertising spots of extreme sophistication. With respect to the association-creators "mass market", it is not unprecedented. As early as the 1980s, Monoprix then the VPC themselves had initiated the movement, revealing designers trend and democratizing inaccessible deemed designers (Jean Paul Gaultier, Lagerfeld...).

Nothing that que du classique donc style même, Véronique Halbrey so du classic style, Véronique Halbrey, Member of the approach: "these partnerships to reintroduce a sense of scarcity and exception in a universe, the very large signs public, the very opposite of this logic, and to offer the consumer a VIP status, while creating an event hyper-valorisant autour teaches.". Jane Lorent, head of communication of the style agency Peclers, adds: "the code intersect: so far, it was rather luxury brands attempt to target a wider audience by creating seconds less expensive lines.". At present, these are "mass market" distributors who invest the luxury niche using renowned creators, and more and more people.

Marketing revolution

"People"! The word is dropped and summarizes his only "real" revolution, since a dozen months, disrupts the distribution great marketing strategies. "Quickly, a VIP!", titled "It" at the beginning of the month, devoting three pages to "one of the most prominent phenomena of clothing trade: the use of the VIP of the style by the giants of the fringue affordable (...)". (1) At the same time, the British edition of "Glamour" (2) dedicating an article entitled "Your back & that's for surviving K - Day" in the best way to attack, as early as may 1, the first collection Kate Moss for TopShop, the huge trend of Oxford Circus store in London. A Kate Moss then at the top of its glory, is leader of the last photo of the National Gallery exhibition. The ink is barely dry on the contracts signed by actress Drew Barrymore and the singer Lily Allen: both have agreed to design a series of models for New Look, great competitor of H & M. actress Mischa Barton ("The O.C."), Ked's to his "revival", since that she has been photographed Ked's feet, also of draw of models for brand shoes, which is now the face. Finally, the model and actress Milla Jovovich, who has his own brand since 2003, should launch this week a collection of ten dresses of summer for Mango, followed by actress Penelope Cruz for the 2007-2008 automnehiver. The phenomenon has taken an international scale.

Do not confuse clients

Everywhere, indeed, fashion icons not only more "aspirationnel support" and infuse the wrong identity or modernity marks, a little of their personality. They are now they "draw" their collections. Nothing more normal observers: "in a world in full"peoplelisation", was"It", where the actresses"bite"the campaigns of pub in the models, where the looks of known girls are dissected by journalists and Internet users with the seriousness of the scholars and where it is enough that a like Kate Moss or Madonna fashion icon is a bag illico become a bestseller.This tendency to transform the stylists stars is a logical step. "As these stars are not chosen at random:"They all share one thing in common,"said Véronique Halbrey (Carlin). The "trend-setters", are icons of fashion that create and lead the trends, both very pointed in their look and rebel in their attitude.

One question remains however: "consumers there are". She wondered. The choice of a creator must be both synonym of event and scarcity. So far, made choices have always been highly relevant, but should not drag of the concept of a partnership with a real stylist of the sponsorship of a people. Consumers are not fooled... "Jane Lorent (Peclers) adds:"while they are a real value on associations with sharp designers, it may wonder about the stylistic contributions of the people. ". "Already, and even if H & M released no figures, the small world of the whisper mode the collection signed Madonna is responding to the commercial expectations of Distributor. "We expect the summer to take stock of the overall phenomenon", concludes Véronique Halbrey.