Vogue’s October 2014 cover
Luxury advertisers looked to Condé Nast-owned Vogue’s October issue to show that their offerings extend beyond the fashions seen in the September edition of the publication.
Brands that have products ranging from apparel and accessories to beauty and fragrance can enhance the awareness of their secondary categories by advertising in fashion publications with an affluent audience. Vogue’s October issue’s coverage includes profiles of “fashion superstars of tomorrow” which gives advertising partners a chance to show their relevance as new careers blossom.
“To remain relevant, established brands must maintain the quality and appeal of their products,” said Ron Kurtz, president of the American Affluence Research Center, Atlanta.
“Advertising, in media that reach their target audience, can be helpful by maintaining awareness of what the brand is doing with its product offerings,” he said.
Mr. Kurtz is not affiliated with Vogue, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Vogue, which declined to comment, has a total average circulation of 1,222,323 readers with a median household income of $69,447.
Superstars
The large 366-page edition of Vogue opened with an inside front cover effort by Estée Lauder for its new Perfectionist makeup collection.
Estée Lauder’s inside front cover campaign in Vogue
Prada followed with an advertisement for its men’s and women’s fashions, whereas Gucci promoted its eyewear options on the following page.
Gucci eyewear ad in Vogue
Christian Dior, Céline, Fendi and Bottega Veneta promoted handbags and apparel in the front of the book. As did Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.
Additional front of the book fashion ad campaigns included Prada-owned Miu Miu, Saint Laurent Paris, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, La Perla and Diane von Furstenberg. Other campaigns were seen by Lancôme, David Yurman, Rolex, Tiffany & Co. and Harry Winston.
Brands that extended their ad presence beyond fashion and accessories included the aforementioned Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana’s skincare collection and Chanel with spots for both fragrance and skin products.
Dolce & Gabbana’s effort for its skincare products in Vogue
Set against the table of contents’ beginning section was a three-page effort by Ralph Lauren for its newly launched Polo for Women collection. The contents was separated by ads from Giorgio Armani and Bally before Givenchy placed its current campaign.
The final section of the table of contents is separated by a large amount of ad efforts, especially those from retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
For example, Saks placed a 12-page lookbook on thicker stock matte paper with brands such as Valentino, Christian Louboutin and Lanvin. Neiman Marcus took a similar approach with a glossy lookbook focusing on shoes and handbags it carries such as Manolo Blahnik, Tom Ford and Chloé.
Neiman Marcus’ The Fall 2014 Collection Hangbags & Shoes lookbook in Vogue
Chanel returned to close out the table of contents and to promote another range, its beauty line. For this effort, the French fashion house promoted its tweed-inspired Les 4 Ombres eyeshadows.
Chanel beauty effort in Vogue
Additional efforts were seen by brands such as Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Saga Furs, Carolina Herrera, Salvatore Ferragamo, Alexander McQueen, Jimmy Choo, Moncler, Versace, Longchamp and Chloé.
Brands that looked beyond its fashions in the October issue included Viktor & Rolf with efforts for its fragrance and jewelry, Armani’s cosmetics and Burberry’s latest fragrance, My Burberry.
Near the back end of Vogue’s October issue, retailer Barneys New York included a four-section fold-out on thicker paper. Barney’s effort, “LA Stories,” was photographed by Bruce Weber and featured local Los Angelenos in brands carried by the retailer such as Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Céline (see story).
Barneys New Yorks’ LA Stories seen in Vogue
The issue concluded with an outside back cover ad by Lancôme for its Grandiôse mascara with actress Penelope Cruz.
Content in the issue included the cover story about actress Reese Witherspoon, an article about why rabbit is the next ethical meat, a look at Apple’s design aesthetics and fashion coverage on “country chic, city cool” looks and the industry’s rising stars.
Get the look
Retailers often look to well-established print and digital publications with an affluent readership to promote, and compete with, the brands it carries in-stores and online.
For example, department store chain Nordstrom showcased its designer collections with a look book advertisement on the mobile-optimized Web site of Condé Nast’s Vogue magazine.
The ad appeared as a banner but enabled consumers to click to expand the box into a scrollable look book featuring apparel and accessories from Saint Laurent Paris and Prada, among other labels. Allowing consumers to see what awaits them before they click-through an ad can help get the right interested buyers to the purchasing stage (see story).
Above all, when placed in a fashion publication, regardless of platform, retailer lookbooks help to increase awareness for offerings and services.
“Lookbooks capture attention because of their scale and format,” Mr. Kurtz said.
“This makes the brand, in this case two retailers, stand out from other advertising and will contribute to increased awareness of both retailers,” he said.
Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter on Luxury Daily, New York