Seems that Kmart has finally killed off that terrible talking blue lightbulb- or at least I hope so. Their big new fashion marketing effort created in conjunction with Minnesota based Peterson Milla Hooks, "Money Can't Buy Style," is complete with new logo, a new attitude, new music and a new blog.
Debuting in the fall of 2011, the new campaign is aimed at empowering customers to embrace their individualism when approaching fashion. Rather than focusing on brand names or even trends, the ads will emphasize self-expression in fashion by featuring real people in Kmart looks they've created themselves.
The series of digital spots created for the web range from 6 seconds to a minute and invite people to "show us what you got" and will include 20 real people in a variety of pieces from the fall 2011 Kmart collections, selected and styled by each individual. The Kmart team spent three weeks hitting the streets across the country to find real people who reveled in their individual style and brought it to life in incredibly unique ways.
"Our goal is to get people to look at Kmart apparel differently," said Tara Poseley, president of Apparel at Kmart. "We took a fresh approach in our campaign with a message that truly embodies what Kmart does best -- making the aspirational attainable. We have great fashion that we're not getting credit for today. We hope the campaign will get people to consider us for what is a very compelling brand portfolio."
When it came time to shoot the campaign, the creative team wanted to ensure a casual, upbeat atmosphere where everyone could feel at ease and comfortable in letting their style shine through. Each look was shot privately with the talent and photographer only for enhanced intimacy. As is typical in fashion shoots, surround sound music was blasted throughout the sessions to create a high-energy environment that kept participants energized throughout the day. Authenticity was essential: to capture the true essence of each participant, and encourage him or her to be both spontaneous and natural in their self-expression, the photographer asked fun and unconventional questions. The end result was a series of genuine responses and expressions captured on film.
"Our new campaign is a disruptive break from fashion advertising clutter," said Robin Creen, chief marketing officer of Apparel at Kmart. "It truly hits the mark in conveying how fun and accessible fashion can be, by capturing the essence of real people who know how to put it all together."
In addition to highlighting the true style of everyday people and the attainability of great fashion, the campaign is designed to convey the insignificance of money in making a statement. With new brands and a new approach to style, Kmart hopes its accessible fashion environment will also excite the senses and inspire unique, personal style through mixing and matching.
The new campaign will launch in September with an assortment of print, digital and outdoor advertising.
You can see all of the "Money Can't Buy Style" Kmart spots here