DDi - October 2012 - (Page 72)

72 | Shopping with Paco Product placement C oming to movie theaters late this fall is another remake of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel “Anna Karenina.” This dark, romantic tragedy is set in the Tsarist aristocracy of the mid-19th century. Originally written in serial form, it was the television mini-series of its day. It is a filmmaker’s delight, with passion, sex, madness and endless costume changes. Keira Knightley is the latest actress to grace the role, filling the shoes of Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh, who starred in earlier versions of the film in the ’30s and ’40s. What makes this production a little different is the role that product placement plays. Banana Republic, on the heels of its successful “Mad Men” line, is launching an “Anna Karenina” collection of romantic, faux-fur trimmed dresses and outerwear based on what Anna wears. See it on screen, visit it in the store, own it and wear it. The integration of clothing in the context of a story is the latest frontier in modern apparel marketing. Slipping a can of Budweiser or a Ford Mustang into a film or television show is an easy win; the package and products are iconic and easily recognizable. While merchants like Talbots have featured movie images in their presentation of classic clothing, this use of the silver screen bypasses the fashion show runway entirely, directly capturing people’s imaginations without having to stop at Anna Wintour’s weigh station. It is yet another nail in the coffin of traditional print and broadcast advertising. The crossing of the film and the fashion shoot is nothing new—it is as old as film itself—but the direct link to retail has many implications. One of the ironies of the fashion industry is that interest or liking of merchandise does not necessarily translate into sales. You can appreciate the work of a fashion designer, but may not have any desire to wear the work yourself. On YOOX.com, an Internet fashion merchant, “liking” something translates into a $35 gift certificate. Commercial corruption of social media is so complete and ubiquitous that it remains the scandal—or next-generation Internet bubble, if you will—that will transform Mark Zuckerberg from being obscenely rich, to just rich. My colleagues at eBay report an abundance of visitors to the fashion portion of their site who return repeatedly, view endlessly and buy nothing. Has anyone heard of retail therapy? Given a choice of “Friends” reruns, looking at clothing has more open-ended fantasy possibilities that are not circumscribed by Jennifer Aniston punch lines. The ability to look at a film or television show (particularly if the viewing happens on a laptop or smartphone) and obtain easy access to many of the products featured on the set or on the physical bodies of the actors is arriving soon, whether in the form of simple Web links or direct-sales portals. Since we DVR programs and are skipping past the commercials, the advertising is now going to be built into the program. But, at what point does this reality hijack the creative process? A European colleague reports that his new film was entirely financed by product placements and that the plot line was deliberately constructed to that end—so we know this is happening whether the industry admits it or not. What also is driving the renewed interest in product placement is the global shift in viewing habits, from the home computer or television, to the laptop and now to the iPad and smartphone. As the viewing surface gets smaller, there is simply less room for banner or boxed advertising. At some point, it’s going to work the other way, too. You march into Ann Taylor, spot a blouse, scan a bar code and see the garment as it has appeared in the media, whether worn by an actress or the local television weather person. What would Tolstoy have thought? —Paco Underhill is the founder of Envirosell and author of the books “Why We Buy,” “Call of the Mall” and “What Women Want.” He shares his retail and consumer insights with DDI in a bi-issue column. | October 2012 www.ddionline.com http://www.YOOX.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - October 2012

DDi - October 2012
Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Visual Perspectives
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Crocs
When a brand becomes a retailer
POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study
Lord & Taylor
Joe Fresh
State of the Retail Design Industry Survey 2012
RIght Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - October 2012