FASHIONTRIBES 5 MIN. PODCAST. Wal-Mart Spend$$$ Big on Advertising in Fashion Mags. FASHIONTRIBES FASHION BLOG & PODCAST
January 5, 2007
From Marie Claire, to Cosmopolitan to O: The Oprah Magazine, Wal-mart made the season mighty merry for Hearst – purchasing a mindboggling 56 ad pages in their various fashion & lifestyle publications. Their 17 page buy in O marked the single biggest media buy in a single title in the publishing conglomerate’s history.
In fact, the ads for Sam’s Club are only part of a trend of bargain price chains going after the fashion crowd, such as ads for Kohl’s in the December issue of Vogue. Designed to showcase the fact that these lower priced chains carry higher ticket items – especially fine jewelry such as diamonds and pearls – this mirrors the trend of people shopping at either extreme of the market. The very rich like to find a savvy bargain at the Costco-like stores of the world, while those on a budget are indulging in aspirational purchases such as key chains and iPod holders from A-list labels.
Naturally, industry cynics – and savvy readers – wonder when such a splashy ad buy will begin paying off in terms of editorial credits for Wal-Mart. “Does this mean readers will start seeing Sam’s Club fashion credits in O and Oprah herself sporting a Sam’s Club diamond ring on an upcoming cover?” asks WWD. A Sam’s Club spokeswomen noted that the advertising was more driven by demographic fit than buying editorial credibility, however, she did add that: “We hope that any magazine may recognize that value.” (via WWD)
To hear the Fashiontribes 5 Min. Podcast about this, visit PodcasterNews.com.
- Lesley Scott
Entry Filed under: fashion. .
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