Banana Republic Mad Men Collection S/S 2013 | Source: Banana Republic
A few posts ago I discussed getting my fashion fix from television (here) and how popular fashion forward shows are being cancelled. However, the important thing to realize from my reflection is about costume designers. Costume designers are the people who make the wardrobe on these popular shows so successful. People tune in not only for the show, but to see what people are wearing and of course how to acquire that particular look or style. As a marketing professional, it is easy for me to reinforce the importance of collaborations in media. These days its not all about ad space and marketing through traditional mediums. It’s about thinking outside the box, pushing goals and most importantly exposure through different outlets.
Product placement in film/TV has and will always be a great tactic, but with the creativity that costume designers bring to these projects it has helped change the direction of popular retailers today. Banana Republic and Brooks Brothers collaboration with Mad Men and No. 35 collaborating with The Good Wife. Also, let’s not forget how collections were created from the film The Great Gatsby. Forward costume designers and network marketing professionals are helping to drive sales using this tactic, because it joins two worlds, fashion and film/TV, in a remarkable way. Vice president of marketing partnerships at ABC, Victoria Chew stated “From our perspective, pursuing the right opportunities to highlight our quality programmes can be a huge win. Viewers were interested in what [the costume designers] were using on the show,” she says. “Many of us aspire to have the wardrobe of Olivia Pope, so we’re always thinking about how we can leverage that.” Victoria goes on to say that she noticed an interest in this direction back in 2006 when Ugly Betty was on the air. (Business of Fashion)
Do not get me wrong, all collaborations are not successful such as Aeropostale and Pretty Little Liars, but they are going back to the drawing board with that to iron out the kinks and try again. In my opinion, it should have been a partnership with American Eagle or even a store like Forever21 where trends stand out more. Either way, it is impressive to see the direction that these collaborations are going in and it starts with the amazing talent of costume designers. They are crucial elements to the film/TV world.
*Read more about this on Business of Fashion
Are you impressed with the recent wardrobe and media collaborations?