scriptgirl
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la senza
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la senza
simplylovely
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^ Those are beautiful!
scriptgirl
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germanpire
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Holy....
Noemie is magnificent in those above ads.
Noemie is magnificent in those above ads.scriptgirl
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M&S
crow_watcher
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^I like her colorful bikini because it plays games with your eyes.
Thanks Scriptgirl for the la senza post. I needed that!
Thanks Scriptgirl for the la senza post. I needed that!
scriptgirl
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nl images
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^She's so fiery! I would love to see the rest of her outfit.
simplylovely
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Noemie Lenoir/Ford Models Europe. Photo Mario Testino for Paris Vogue, June/July 08. Photo courtesy of Ford Models Europe. Also with Elite New York.Ladies and gentlemen your first look at Noemie Lenoir’s Vogue Paris cover. Vive Carine!
models.com
models.com
Common_1031
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This is hot
scriptgirl
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Times of London
ritics harp, sales dip -but if Marks & Spencer's remit is to provide something for everyone, then it is doing its job, says Fashion Editor Lisa Armstrong
When Sir Stuart (then plain old Stuart) Rose joined Your M&S (then plain old Marks & Spencer) in 2004, he promised to honour its stated aims of having something for everyone -a mission that many thought hopelessly outmoded. He also gave a commitment to the business of five years.
There must have been times when he wished he hadn't. His first two years though this tends to be overlooked now -were anything but smooth. Even his son's girlfriends complained that the lingerie was old-fashioned.
Then things started to go right. He hired Stephen Sharp to sex up the advertising and Kate Bostock to haul womenswear (and those pointy 1950s bras) into the 21st century. Sharp's appointment was key: some analysts believe that M&S's endlessly lauded rebirth was as much an act of rebranding as of product transformation. Sharp was behind the new typeface. He signed up Twiggy and Laura Bailey, then Erin O'Connor, then Noemie Lenoir, Lizzie Jagger, Myleene Klass and, finally, Lily Cole, until M&S had its very own pan-generational rainbow nation. He spent Pounds 25 million a year on advertising and it worked. Meanwhile, Bostock, with Next and Asda behind her, put on a succession of shows that eventually convinced the fashion press that M&S was back on track.
Of course, we celebrated. Lazarus had been raised; a national institution, complete with updated traditional values, rescued.
Then came those recent figures. In the six months to the end of January 2008, its womenswear business shrank by 14 per cent year on year: a bad omen in the volatile world of womens' clothing.
M&S has become not just a talisman of the confident British economy but a symbol of the kind of country that we'd like to be - one in which organic tenderloin of beef, rather than a Big Mac, is the national dish, and where environmental and ethical issues are more important than snaring a whole outfit for under a tenner. The clothes may no longer be made in Britain, but they are produced in factories where the working conditions are exemplary -a clever and realistic switch of emphasis.
If M&S is having a hard time, then what hope the rest of the high street? This is how Sir Stuart sold the downturn and, mostly, analysts agree. This is not a great time to be in fashion retail. Zara, the fashionistas' favourite, is struggling to make a profit in the UK. Gap, another fashion favourite, is seeing flat sales. Jigsaw, currently beloved by fashion editors, is also having it tough, while Kew, its cheaper stablemate, operates in the red. The shares of Next, the other high street giant, have fallen by 34 per cent, making it one of the FTSE 100's biggest casualties. February, analysts mordantly noted, "was a graveyard for the high street".
The M&S management inclines towards Sir Stuart's view, having just anointed him executive chairman, extended his tenure until 2011 and appointed Kate Bostock to the board (she is hotly tipped to become the company's first female chief executive at some point). Ian Dyson takes over day-to-day running of the finances, which frees Sir Stuart to "focus on the bigger picture". We can take this as a vote of confidence.
Is the management right? Last week I visited two branches of M&S, the Marble Arch flagship and, less than a mile away, the far less salubrious Edgware Road store. As usual, my reactions lurched from favourable to unfavourable every few feet.
Despite a facelift, the bland Marble Arch store is hardly a glamorous environment, even compared with Gap's utilitarian wooden floors and white walls. It will seem like a poor relation when Banana Republic (competing with M&S's Autograph collection) opens its 17,000 glossy square feet on Regent Street next week. Then there are the miles of uninspiring "value" knits in slightly the wrong shade, and the garish swimwear at the entrance. Lordy, you have to be devoted to the M&S cause to persevere -or to have seen something irresistible on a fashion page. Then you have to track it down, which is easier than it once was but still no task for the faint- hearted.
The trousers on the first floor are photographed on women wearing dreadfully sensible shoes -not a look to set the heart racing or the wallet ripping itself open. Suffice to say that M&S footwear won't be giving Manolo, Christian or even L.K. Bennett sleepless nights, though I did like the jewelled, Prada-esque patent pumps at Pounds 19.50.
My first sensation on walking into M&S was that I'd wandered into Littlewoods by mistake. There was no sign of all the brilliant items that Kate Bostock produces for press days. Then I started to spot them -the gems that just about make the expedition into greige interiors and oh-so-bland plastic-hanger-land worthwhile. The Autograph Weekend white cotton "safari" peacoat, a slick fit at Pounds 49.50; a lovely white pin-tucked cotton shirtdress hanging forlornly on the second floor, reduced from Pounds 25 to Pounds 9; a brilliant anthracite nylon parka (as seen on Lily Cole) at Pounds 59.50; the Limited Collection black kimono-sleeve top, Pounds 19.50; a very chic navy A-line jacket from Autograph, Pounds 49.50. Even the once to-be-avoided Per Una line offered a good cream trench with tortoiseshell buttons for Pounds 69.50. A Pounds 29.50 "With Silk" slouchy blouson T-shirt in drab olive or cream was not only stylish but very fairly described, with silk accounting for 56 per cent of its total yarn content.
The sailor pants that I tried on were a disaster -why place pockets precisely where they are guaranteed to make thighs look like a set of 4x4 tyres? But a black slouchy cotton pair were very good, and remarkable value at Pounds 19.50. In the name of duty I also tried on a T-shirt, the litmus test of all fashion houses. M&S's Limited one, "modal rich" (ie, stretchy) was a good shape and a fantastic price, but when I shrugged, its shoulders looked as though they might stay raised long after mine had returned to base. Still, for Pounds 9.50 I'd give it a go.
The underwear is hugely improved. I can't vouch for the lacy stuff, as I don't like scratchy, pointless tufts of nylon ruining the line of my clothes. But the Body Basics range of plain, moulded "cotton rich" (all these euphemisms become a bit trying) bras are excellent, except that, if I'm being fussy, I found some of the colours off-putting. A two-pack for Pounds 15 is terrific value, but the beige was more camel than flesh-coloured -and why package it with a white bra when most women know that white bras are about as discreet under a fine T-shirt or semi-sheer top as Katie Price at an Opus Dei convention? And why stitch a silly little metal coin-thing on an otherwise simple dusky pink bra from the Body Basics range? The first thing I'd do is snip it off.
The knickers, though, are utterly brilliant. A month or so earlier I'd visited the lingerie department with my two teenage daughters (who would far rather have been in the Kylie Minogue section at Selfridges). I'd expected terrible queues but we breezed in and were expertly served by an extremely knowledgeable fitter who found half a dozen bras that failed to register on the teenage scorn- ometer. I also managed to find them some cute flat-patent Mary Janes that were a cut above other cheap ranges and had a strap to stop the dreaded claw foot that so many teenage girls seem to be developing, thanks to their love of ballet shoes. For finding my girls a fashion shoe that we all liked, I love M&S. I also applaud its sorties into ethical clothing and make up, and its Look Behind the Label campaign.
Thing is, all the items I picked out for myself were classic rather than high fashion. And although they were all good, I didn't buy them because I own versions of them already. The Edgware Road store was grim, by the way -so untidy as to make 1994 Sarajevo look like Zurich. There was some nice underwear but in random sizes, and the only other noteworthy item was a good version of the YSL Downtown bag at an un-YSL-ish Pounds 29.50.
What I need to get me spending is something frivolous and wonderful -which I found the moment I crossed Oxford Street into Zara and stumbled on some high mock-croc gladiator sandals that will rev up all my classics. At Pounds 59 they were more than M&S would dare to charge but cheap compared with designers and, all things considered, brilliant. So although I'm hardly the most outre fashionista on the block, perhaps M&S's "fashion" offer isn't really for me, or the thousands of women like me. I will be looking in regularly at the underwear from now on, though, so perhaps Sir Stuart's initial promise of something for everyone has been fulfilled.
As for clothes, in providing for the millions of women who find Zara and its rivals too fashionable, too skimpy, too teeming with the under-30s, I'd say that M&S's key branches are doing a pretty good job. Despite the current downturn, it still has 13.6 per cent of the market. But maybe it does itself a disservice when it puts on such enticing fashion shows for the press, fostering the impression that it's a high-fashion brand when really it is supplying basics to Everywoman. It's one thing to be "expectation-rich", but raise expectations too high and you risk the wrath of the disappointed shopper -whose fury, as we have seen before, knows no bounds.
ritics harp, sales dip -but if Marks & Spencer's remit is to provide something for everyone, then it is doing its job, says Fashion Editor Lisa Armstrong
When Sir Stuart (then plain old Stuart) Rose joined Your M&S (then plain old Marks & Spencer) in 2004, he promised to honour its stated aims of having something for everyone -a mission that many thought hopelessly outmoded. He also gave a commitment to the business of five years.
There must have been times when he wished he hadn't. His first two years though this tends to be overlooked now -were anything but smooth. Even his son's girlfriends complained that the lingerie was old-fashioned.
Then things started to go right. He hired Stephen Sharp to sex up the advertising and Kate Bostock to haul womenswear (and those pointy 1950s bras) into the 21st century. Sharp's appointment was key: some analysts believe that M&S's endlessly lauded rebirth was as much an act of rebranding as of product transformation. Sharp was behind the new typeface. He signed up Twiggy and Laura Bailey, then Erin O'Connor, then Noemie Lenoir, Lizzie Jagger, Myleene Klass and, finally, Lily Cole, until M&S had its very own pan-generational rainbow nation. He spent Pounds 25 million a year on advertising and it worked. Meanwhile, Bostock, with Next and Asda behind her, put on a succession of shows that eventually convinced the fashion press that M&S was back on track.
Of course, we celebrated. Lazarus had been raised; a national institution, complete with updated traditional values, rescued.
Then came those recent figures. In the six months to the end of January 2008, its womenswear business shrank by 14 per cent year on year: a bad omen in the volatile world of womens' clothing.
M&S has become not just a talisman of the confident British economy but a symbol of the kind of country that we'd like to be - one in which organic tenderloin of beef, rather than a Big Mac, is the national dish, and where environmental and ethical issues are more important than snaring a whole outfit for under a tenner. The clothes may no longer be made in Britain, but they are produced in factories where the working conditions are exemplary -a clever and realistic switch of emphasis.
If M&S is having a hard time, then what hope the rest of the high street? This is how Sir Stuart sold the downturn and, mostly, analysts agree. This is not a great time to be in fashion retail. Zara, the fashionistas' favourite, is struggling to make a profit in the UK. Gap, another fashion favourite, is seeing flat sales. Jigsaw, currently beloved by fashion editors, is also having it tough, while Kew, its cheaper stablemate, operates in the red. The shares of Next, the other high street giant, have fallen by 34 per cent, making it one of the FTSE 100's biggest casualties. February, analysts mordantly noted, "was a graveyard for the high street".
The M&S management inclines towards Sir Stuart's view, having just anointed him executive chairman, extended his tenure until 2011 and appointed Kate Bostock to the board (she is hotly tipped to become the company's first female chief executive at some point). Ian Dyson takes over day-to-day running of the finances, which frees Sir Stuart to "focus on the bigger picture". We can take this as a vote of confidence.
Is the management right? Last week I visited two branches of M&S, the Marble Arch flagship and, less than a mile away, the far less salubrious Edgware Road store. As usual, my reactions lurched from favourable to unfavourable every few feet.
Despite a facelift, the bland Marble Arch store is hardly a glamorous environment, even compared with Gap's utilitarian wooden floors and white walls. It will seem like a poor relation when Banana Republic (competing with M&S's Autograph collection) opens its 17,000 glossy square feet on Regent Street next week. Then there are the miles of uninspiring "value" knits in slightly the wrong shade, and the garish swimwear at the entrance. Lordy, you have to be devoted to the M&S cause to persevere -or to have seen something irresistible on a fashion page. Then you have to track it down, which is easier than it once was but still no task for the faint- hearted.
The trousers on the first floor are photographed on women wearing dreadfully sensible shoes -not a look to set the heart racing or the wallet ripping itself open. Suffice to say that M&S footwear won't be giving Manolo, Christian or even L.K. Bennett sleepless nights, though I did like the jewelled, Prada-esque patent pumps at Pounds 19.50.
My first sensation on walking into M&S was that I'd wandered into Littlewoods by mistake. There was no sign of all the brilliant items that Kate Bostock produces for press days. Then I started to spot them -the gems that just about make the expedition into greige interiors and oh-so-bland plastic-hanger-land worthwhile. The Autograph Weekend white cotton "safari" peacoat, a slick fit at Pounds 49.50; a lovely white pin-tucked cotton shirtdress hanging forlornly on the second floor, reduced from Pounds 25 to Pounds 9; a brilliant anthracite nylon parka (as seen on Lily Cole) at Pounds 59.50; the Limited Collection black kimono-sleeve top, Pounds 19.50; a very chic navy A-line jacket from Autograph, Pounds 49.50. Even the once to-be-avoided Per Una line offered a good cream trench with tortoiseshell buttons for Pounds 69.50. A Pounds 29.50 "With Silk" slouchy blouson T-shirt in drab olive or cream was not only stylish but very fairly described, with silk accounting for 56 per cent of its total yarn content.
The sailor pants that I tried on were a disaster -why place pockets precisely where they are guaranteed to make thighs look like a set of 4x4 tyres? But a black slouchy cotton pair were very good, and remarkable value at Pounds 19.50. In the name of duty I also tried on a T-shirt, the litmus test of all fashion houses. M&S's Limited one, "modal rich" (ie, stretchy) was a good shape and a fantastic price, but when I shrugged, its shoulders looked as though they might stay raised long after mine had returned to base. Still, for Pounds 9.50 I'd give it a go.
The underwear is hugely improved. I can't vouch for the lacy stuff, as I don't like scratchy, pointless tufts of nylon ruining the line of my clothes. But the Body Basics range of plain, moulded "cotton rich" (all these euphemisms become a bit trying) bras are excellent, except that, if I'm being fussy, I found some of the colours off-putting. A two-pack for Pounds 15 is terrific value, but the beige was more camel than flesh-coloured -and why package it with a white bra when most women know that white bras are about as discreet under a fine T-shirt or semi-sheer top as Katie Price at an Opus Dei convention? And why stitch a silly little metal coin-thing on an otherwise simple dusky pink bra from the Body Basics range? The first thing I'd do is snip it off.
The knickers, though, are utterly brilliant. A month or so earlier I'd visited the lingerie department with my two teenage daughters (who would far rather have been in the Kylie Minogue section at Selfridges). I'd expected terrible queues but we breezed in and were expertly served by an extremely knowledgeable fitter who found half a dozen bras that failed to register on the teenage scorn- ometer. I also managed to find them some cute flat-patent Mary Janes that were a cut above other cheap ranges and had a strap to stop the dreaded claw foot that so many teenage girls seem to be developing, thanks to their love of ballet shoes. For finding my girls a fashion shoe that we all liked, I love M&S. I also applaud its sorties into ethical clothing and make up, and its Look Behind the Label campaign.
Thing is, all the items I picked out for myself were classic rather than high fashion. And although they were all good, I didn't buy them because I own versions of them already. The Edgware Road store was grim, by the way -so untidy as to make 1994 Sarajevo look like Zurich. There was some nice underwear but in random sizes, and the only other noteworthy item was a good version of the YSL Downtown bag at an un-YSL-ish Pounds 29.50.
What I need to get me spending is something frivolous and wonderful -which I found the moment I crossed Oxford Street into Zara and stumbled on some high mock-croc gladiator sandals that will rev up all my classics. At Pounds 59 they were more than M&S would dare to charge but cheap compared with designers and, all things considered, brilliant. So although I'm hardly the most outre fashionista on the block, perhaps M&S's "fashion" offer isn't really for me, or the thousands of women like me. I will be looking in regularly at the underwear from now on, though, so perhaps Sir Stuart's initial promise of something for everyone has been fulfilled.
As for clothes, in providing for the millions of women who find Zara and its rivals too fashionable, too skimpy, too teeming with the under-30s, I'd say that M&S's key branches are doing a pretty good job. Despite the current downturn, it still has 13.6 per cent of the market. But maybe it does itself a disservice when it puts on such enticing fashion shows for the press, fostering the impression that it's a high-fashion brand when really it is supplying basics to Everywoman. It's one thing to be "expectation-rich", but raise expectations too high and you risk the wrath of the disappointed shopper -whose fury, as we have seen before, knows no bounds.
scriptgirl
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TRESSED to impress
Byline: NICHOLAS HOLMES
Edition: Echofeat
Section: Living Magazine
While the fashion industry unveils its spring and summer collections, the creative director of one of the region's newest hair salons, NICHOLAS HOLMES, of Darlington's Hobson and Holmes salon, shows how to achieve the latest styles
Forties waves
THIS is a look which won't go away. Seen at every red carpet event for the past few years, glamorous, shiny waves were particularly noticeable on the catwalks of Versace and Robert Cavalli this season.
Thinking back to the Hollywood greats of yesteryear, this trend is all about healthy, radiant hair that just wants to be touched.
Make sure your locks are in perfect condition by applying a deep conditioning masque at least once a week. Or even better, why not pop down to your salon for a prescriptive treatment and blow-dry.
To create this look at home, either set your hair on heated rollers or use ceramic irons to create curls.
When cool, spritz with a firm-hold hairspray, before brushing the curls through to create soft glossy waves.
Finally, simply position your hair as required, using more spray and hairpins if needed.
Get plaited
SINCE Sienna Miller wore this trend to last year's Oscars, plaits have switched from the choice of the playground to becoming a staple style on the world's catwalks.
Experimenting is the key to finding a braid to match your look. Simply take a low pony tail and secure. Smooth some serum through the ends and plait.
Try keeping hair loose and soft, teasing out the ends for a casual look - or keep it tight and wrap it round on itself, pinning into place, to give a braided bun effect. If your hair is on the shorter side, try adding some clip-in hair extensions, or why not do as Sienna did and buy a ready-made braid, pinning it across the forhead to give a tribal look.
Top crops
MODEL Agnyess Deyn started the trend and was soon followed by celebs such as Sarah Harding and Noemie Lenoir, this short style is only for the brave, but done well, will set you apart from the masses.
Short hair is easy to manage and versatile, so don't be scared to go for the chop. However, there's no going back, so make sure you really trust your stylist to advise you on the style that will really suit. Keep it shorter in the back and longer in the fringe to ensure you are right up to date.
Blast your hair dry and tease wax through the ends to add texture and definition. Try spritzing with a good shine spray and straightening through with ceramic irons for evening.
The key to this look is all in the cut - so book yourself in for a trim every four to six weeks.
Seeing red
FROM auburn to pillar-box, red hair is being seen on the catwalk models around the world. From Anna Sui, Gucci and Giles this season, the lady is a vamp.
Many an A-lister has turned to crimson hues - and it's easy to see why.
Teamed with the latest styles, this look can knock years off you, and kickstart a whole new image.
Make sure your stylist goes through a thorough consultation before agreeing on a shade, as your skin tone and eye colour will play a part in determining which red is right for you.
If red is too out-there for you as an all-over tint, try adding some highlights or warming up your normal shade to give a hint of ruby.Fringe benefits
SERIAL trend-setter Kate Moss has put the fringe firmly back on the map. By adding a soft-cut, but heavy fringe to her trademark, rock-chick tresses, she manages to bring herself bang on trend, without too drastic a chop.
Fringes are big news this season. Teamed with loose waves or poker-straight lengths, the fringe is a sure-fire way to update your look. Keep it soft and long and for a "peek-a-boo" feel that will have heads turning.
Don't be tempted to straighten your fringe though. Simply blow- dry it with a heat-retainer brush and blast with a cool dryer to give it an un-done look.
And don't be concerned about it getting in the way - any decent salon should offer you fringe-trims as a complimentary extra, or for a small fee. This will save you from attempting any homehairdressing and ruining the look.
Northern echo
Byline: NICHOLAS HOLMES
Edition: Echofeat
Section: Living Magazine
While the fashion industry unveils its spring and summer collections, the creative director of one of the region's newest hair salons, NICHOLAS HOLMES, of Darlington's Hobson and Holmes salon, shows how to achieve the latest styles
Forties waves
THIS is a look which won't go away. Seen at every red carpet event for the past few years, glamorous, shiny waves were particularly noticeable on the catwalks of Versace and Robert Cavalli this season.
Thinking back to the Hollywood greats of yesteryear, this trend is all about healthy, radiant hair that just wants to be touched.
Make sure your locks are in perfect condition by applying a deep conditioning masque at least once a week. Or even better, why not pop down to your salon for a prescriptive treatment and blow-dry.
To create this look at home, either set your hair on heated rollers or use ceramic irons to create curls.
When cool, spritz with a firm-hold hairspray, before brushing the curls through to create soft glossy waves.
Finally, simply position your hair as required, using more spray and hairpins if needed.
Get plaited
SINCE Sienna Miller wore this trend to last year's Oscars, plaits have switched from the choice of the playground to becoming a staple style on the world's catwalks.
Experimenting is the key to finding a braid to match your look. Simply take a low pony tail and secure. Smooth some serum through the ends and plait.
Try keeping hair loose and soft, teasing out the ends for a casual look - or keep it tight and wrap it round on itself, pinning into place, to give a braided bun effect. If your hair is on the shorter side, try adding some clip-in hair extensions, or why not do as Sienna did and buy a ready-made braid, pinning it across the forhead to give a tribal look.
Top crops
MODEL Agnyess Deyn started the trend and was soon followed by celebs such as Sarah Harding and Noemie Lenoir, this short style is only for the brave, but done well, will set you apart from the masses.
Short hair is easy to manage and versatile, so don't be scared to go for the chop. However, there's no going back, so make sure you really trust your stylist to advise you on the style that will really suit. Keep it shorter in the back and longer in the fringe to ensure you are right up to date.
Blast your hair dry and tease wax through the ends to add texture and definition. Try spritzing with a good shine spray and straightening through with ceramic irons for evening.
The key to this look is all in the cut - so book yourself in for a trim every four to six weeks.
Seeing red
FROM auburn to pillar-box, red hair is being seen on the catwalk models around the world. From Anna Sui, Gucci and Giles this season, the lady is a vamp.
Many an A-lister has turned to crimson hues - and it's easy to see why.
Teamed with the latest styles, this look can knock years off you, and kickstart a whole new image.
Make sure your stylist goes through a thorough consultation before agreeing on a shade, as your skin tone and eye colour will play a part in determining which red is right for you.
If red is too out-there for you as an all-over tint, try adding some highlights or warming up your normal shade to give a hint of ruby.Fringe benefits
SERIAL trend-setter Kate Moss has put the fringe firmly back on the map. By adding a soft-cut, but heavy fringe to her trademark, rock-chick tresses, she manages to bring herself bang on trend, without too drastic a chop.
Fringes are big news this season. Teamed with loose waves or poker-straight lengths, the fringe is a sure-fire way to update your look. Keep it soft and long and for a "peek-a-boo" feel that will have heads turning.
Don't be tempted to straighten your fringe though. Simply blow- dry it with a heat-retainer brush and blast with a cool dryer to give it an un-done look.
And don't be concerned about it getting in the way - any decent salon should offer you fringe-trims as a complimentary extra, or for a small fee. This will save you from attempting any homehairdressing and ruining the look.
Northern echo
scriptgirl
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- May 1, 2006
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- 12,226
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- 5
The work
The lowdown
The annual Marks & Spencer Christmas extravaganza has arrived, and this year the scene has moved from the camp ice palace to Hollywood in the 40s. Also joining the ladies - Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Lizzie Jagger, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir - this time around is the movie star Antonio Banderas.
The film is a homage to 40s Hollywood movies with the women styled as iconic screen heroines of the era.
Each of the glamorous ladies wants one thing for Christmas - a mystery man who is revealed at the end of the commercial to be Banderas.
Musical accompaniment is provided by a re-orchestrated version of Andy Williams' It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
The lowdown
The annual Marks & Spencer Christmas extravaganza has arrived, and this year the scene has moved from the camp ice palace to Hollywood in the 40s. Also joining the ladies - Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Lizzie Jagger, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir - this time around is the movie star Antonio Banderas.
The film is a homage to 40s Hollywood movies with the women styled as iconic screen heroines of the era.
Each of the glamorous ladies wants one thing for Christmas - a mystery man who is revealed at the end of the commercial to be Banderas.
Musical accompaniment is provided by a re-orchestrated version of Andy Williams' It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
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- 12,226
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- 5
Next feels the squeeze
Type: Personnel
Once the darling of the '80s retail design and branding revolution, Next is beginning to feel its age. Trailing in the wake of a resurgent Marks & Spencer, and under threat from Primark, will its new discount stores and international expansion plans be enough to halt the decline? By Ian McCawley
Simon Wolfson, the fresh-faced chief executive of retailer Next who is likened by industry commentators to teenage sorcerer Harry Potter, is delving into his bag of tricks again to keep the wolves from the company's door.
A resurgent Marks & Spencer (M&S) continues to cast a spell on the UK fashion market with improved collections and glamorous marketing campaigns, while other rivals like New Look are also sewing up shoppers by the busload.
By contrast, first-half results at Next's high street division disappointed analysts when they were announced last week. Profits slumped nearly 8% to pound 111.1m for the period, with underlying sales dropping by 7.5%. However, Next Directory earnings rocketed by 44%, and overall company profits climbed by 3.6% to pound 178.9m.
Next's high street struggles reflect a wider malaise among middle- market fashion players. Last week, French Connection posted its first loss in 14 years. It announced pre-tax losses of pound 3.6m for the six months to the end of July, compared with profits of pound 5.1m in the same period last year.
Others suffering too
French Connection chairman Stephen Marks was forced to make a statement denying he is to sell his 42% interest. Icelandic investment group Baugur, which already owns several UK-based retailers, including middle-market fashion player Mosaic, has been busy building its stake. Customers have grown tired of the famous "FCUK" slogan, dropped last year, and its most recent ad campaign - showing models participating in a catfight and a lesbian kiss - was slated by viewers.
The Advertising Standards Authority, which fielded more than 100 complaints about the TV execution, decided not to investigate. But the episode marked the end of a long relationship between Marks and creative guru Trevor Beattie, former chairman and creative director of TBWA/London and founder of Beattie McGuinness Bungay. Marks is now talking to other shops about the future direction of French Connection's advertising.
He is confident of sparking a recovery sharp enough to deliver a profit over the full year. For his part, Wolfson is cautious about Next's chances, saying like-for-like sales in the second half are likely to be down between 2% and 5% - but that is better than the 3- 6% previously forecast.
Whether or not they can fashion comebacks, French Connection and Next are clearly continuing to suffer from the buoyancy of M&S, led by chief executive Stuart Rose. Its latest high-profile campaign features Autumn Collection models Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir and Elizabeth Jagger. M&S' preliminary results for the year to April 1 showed total clothing sales in the second half up by 4.4%, thanks to "well-received ranges, frequent additions of new products and better value, buying and styling", according to Rose. Clothing sales for the 13 weeks to July 1 were ahead by 10.7% against the first quarter of 2005.
Under Rose's stewardship, M&S is blooming - although he has become embroiled in the debate about "size-zero models", claiming Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell's attack on the fashion industry is mis-timed. Rose has branded Jowell's calls for a ban on underweight models at this week's London Fashion Week a "knee-jerk" reaction.
Adding to M&S' improvement, analysts say the middle-market is also being squeezed from below by continuing consumer interest in the once-scorned value fashion chains, led by the likes of TK Maxx, H&M and Primark. Although Primark's owner Associated British Foods recently reported a slowdown in underlying sales, the City is in no doubt that its surge over the past two years has eroded the share of other boutiques.
The experience of shopping at Primark is wryly described by one observer as "like rummaging around in a jumble sale", but its formula has grabbed cash-conscious consumers' attention. Next's attempts to pack its stores to the rafters have not been so successful.
Caught in the middle
Marketing experts are divided about Next's chances of regaining ground. Monica Lucas, a partner at retail and marketing consultancy Pragma, believes there are several reasons why Next Retail is suffering. She says: "Its merchandise has become safe and bland to the extent that it is a fashion-free zone. It is also caught between a younger and older age positioning, which is confusing consumers. In terms of price positioning, it is quite high against the likes of M&S and Dorothy Perkins."
Verdict Research senior retail analyst Maureen Hinton adds: "Next's high street operation is tied up with running ranges in the directory. In some ways, the model has reduced flexibility. It has to be faster in producing new ranges. Fashion this season is more its flavour, but it needs to invest in design to be different and excite consumers."
Origin Brand Consultants senior consultant Alan Atkin is more upbeat: "Next, along with M&S and other middle-market retailers, faces the challenge of being all things to all people, and to that extent it can appear schizophrenic. But the soaring online and directory sales are testament to the fact that Next is not a dead brand."
Wolfson recently announced he is giving Next a passage to India, where it plans to open 20 stores, according to sources. To shake up its UK operations, the chain is also reducing in-store lines by 10%, while simultaneously increasing selling space by more than one- fifth. Both measures are intended to reduce crowding on the shop floor.
Next Electricals has also been added to the growing homeware offer. And, perhaps more crucially, Wolfson is testing discount clothing stores, branded Lime, which he claims will be "big business" if a 12-month trial proves successful.
Atkin adds: "Lime is of interest because the idea is to fill gaps in ranges sold through Next's 40 clearance stores. It aims to offer better quality and design than cut-price competitors like New Look and Primark." But if Lime turns out to be a lemon, Wolfson will have to wave his magic wand to prevent the once dominant Next becoming a thing of the past.
Marketing Week
Type: Personnel
Once the darling of the '80s retail design and branding revolution, Next is beginning to feel its age. Trailing in the wake of a resurgent Marks & Spencer, and under threat from Primark, will its new discount stores and international expansion plans be enough to halt the decline? By Ian McCawley
Simon Wolfson, the fresh-faced chief executive of retailer Next who is likened by industry commentators to teenage sorcerer Harry Potter, is delving into his bag of tricks again to keep the wolves from the company's door.
A resurgent Marks & Spencer (M&S) continues to cast a spell on the UK fashion market with improved collections and glamorous marketing campaigns, while other rivals like New Look are also sewing up shoppers by the busload.
By contrast, first-half results at Next's high street division disappointed analysts when they were announced last week. Profits slumped nearly 8% to pound 111.1m for the period, with underlying sales dropping by 7.5%. However, Next Directory earnings rocketed by 44%, and overall company profits climbed by 3.6% to pound 178.9m.
Next's high street struggles reflect a wider malaise among middle- market fashion players. Last week, French Connection posted its first loss in 14 years. It announced pre-tax losses of pound 3.6m for the six months to the end of July, compared with profits of pound 5.1m in the same period last year.
Others suffering too
French Connection chairman Stephen Marks was forced to make a statement denying he is to sell his 42% interest. Icelandic investment group Baugur, which already owns several UK-based retailers, including middle-market fashion player Mosaic, has been busy building its stake. Customers have grown tired of the famous "FCUK" slogan, dropped last year, and its most recent ad campaign - showing models participating in a catfight and a lesbian kiss - was slated by viewers.
The Advertising Standards Authority, which fielded more than 100 complaints about the TV execution, decided not to investigate. But the episode marked the end of a long relationship between Marks and creative guru Trevor Beattie, former chairman and creative director of TBWA/London and founder of Beattie McGuinness Bungay. Marks is now talking to other shops about the future direction of French Connection's advertising.
He is confident of sparking a recovery sharp enough to deliver a profit over the full year. For his part, Wolfson is cautious about Next's chances, saying like-for-like sales in the second half are likely to be down between 2% and 5% - but that is better than the 3- 6% previously forecast.
Whether or not they can fashion comebacks, French Connection and Next are clearly continuing to suffer from the buoyancy of M&S, led by chief executive Stuart Rose. Its latest high-profile campaign features Autumn Collection models Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir and Elizabeth Jagger. M&S' preliminary results for the year to April 1 showed total clothing sales in the second half up by 4.4%, thanks to "well-received ranges, frequent additions of new products and better value, buying and styling", according to Rose. Clothing sales for the 13 weeks to July 1 were ahead by 10.7% against the first quarter of 2005.
Under Rose's stewardship, M&S is blooming - although he has become embroiled in the debate about "size-zero models", claiming Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell's attack on the fashion industry is mis-timed. Rose has branded Jowell's calls for a ban on underweight models at this week's London Fashion Week a "knee-jerk" reaction.
Adding to M&S' improvement, analysts say the middle-market is also being squeezed from below by continuing consumer interest in the once-scorned value fashion chains, led by the likes of TK Maxx, H&M and Primark. Although Primark's owner Associated British Foods recently reported a slowdown in underlying sales, the City is in no doubt that its surge over the past two years has eroded the share of other boutiques.
The experience of shopping at Primark is wryly described by one observer as "like rummaging around in a jumble sale", but its formula has grabbed cash-conscious consumers' attention. Next's attempts to pack its stores to the rafters have not been so successful.
Caught in the middle
Marketing experts are divided about Next's chances of regaining ground. Monica Lucas, a partner at retail and marketing consultancy Pragma, believes there are several reasons why Next Retail is suffering. She says: "Its merchandise has become safe and bland to the extent that it is a fashion-free zone. It is also caught between a younger and older age positioning, which is confusing consumers. In terms of price positioning, it is quite high against the likes of M&S and Dorothy Perkins."
Verdict Research senior retail analyst Maureen Hinton adds: "Next's high street operation is tied up with running ranges in the directory. In some ways, the model has reduced flexibility. It has to be faster in producing new ranges. Fashion this season is more its flavour, but it needs to invest in design to be different and excite consumers."
Origin Brand Consultants senior consultant Alan Atkin is more upbeat: "Next, along with M&S and other middle-market retailers, faces the challenge of being all things to all people, and to that extent it can appear schizophrenic. But the soaring online and directory sales are testament to the fact that Next is not a dead brand."
Wolfson recently announced he is giving Next a passage to India, where it plans to open 20 stores, according to sources. To shake up its UK operations, the chain is also reducing in-store lines by 10%, while simultaneously increasing selling space by more than one- fifth. Both measures are intended to reduce crowding on the shop floor.
Next Electricals has also been added to the growing homeware offer. And, perhaps more crucially, Wolfson is testing discount clothing stores, branded Lime, which he claims will be "big business" if a 12-month trial proves successful.
Atkin adds: "Lime is of interest because the idea is to fill gaps in ranges sold through Next's 40 clearance stores. It aims to offer better quality and design than cut-price competitors like New Look and Primark." But if Lime turns out to be a lemon, Wolfson will have to wave his magic wand to prevent the once dominant Next becoming a thing of the past.
Marketing Week
scriptgirl
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Guardian
Using celebrities to endorse brands is a powerful tactic, but stars must be chosen with care.
Ever since actress Lillie Langtry appeared on a pack of Pears soap in 1893, stars have lent their faces and names to the promotion of branded products, and firms have fallen over themselves to pay for the privilege.
There are two strategies that can he applied to the role of celebrities as marketing tool: with a celebrity licence, the individual affixes their likeness or logo to a product, while with celebrity endorsements, the star lends their name to someone else's product. It is these endorsements which, although risky, are the more relevant for marketers.
Companies spend millions to get their products endorsed, and according to Uche Okonkwo, a business strategist in Paris, one in four TV advertisements now use celebrities, compared with one in eight 10 years ago.
David Beckham, who has deals with brands from Gillette and Coty to Adidas and Police sunglasses, is now worth about £60m through endorsements and advertising alone, according to Bailey Beeken, show director of the Licensing International in New York. Industry speculation estimates that Nike spent $ 192m on its celebrity endorsement campaign in 2004.
Even comparatively smaller brands are using personalities to promote their products; consider the effect models Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir have had on Marks & Spencer's womenswear sales. Elsewhere, there is watch brand Tag Heuer's link with Brad Pitt, L'Oreal and its host of'worth it' girls - from (ennifer Aniston to Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria - Richard Branson and Samsonite luggage, and even Trinny and Susannah with Nescafe.
'Celebrities can build, refresh and add new dimensions to brands,' says Rick Isaacson, vice-president at IMG, a US licensing agency specialising in sports, entertainment and media, who is also chairing a seminar at the Licensing International 2006 exhibition in New York (see box, page 36).'What celebrities stand for enhances the brand, and marketers save valuable time in creating the credibility their client needs to build its brands,' he adds.'When consumers see a credible celebrity endorsing a product, they think that it must be OK.'
This is all very well - until the celebrity loses credibility. As supermodel Kate Moss proved not long ago, endorsement can cause grief if the personality gets into trouble. Moss was the face of four cosmetic and fashion groups when the so-called 'Cocaine Kate' scandal broke. The intense criticism that ensued in the media tarnished both her image and potentially that of the brands she endorsed, which led some of them to drop her.
As well as inappropriate behaviour, there is a danger that a celebrity's profile can be so big that it overshadows the brands they endorse. When Pepsi ditched singers Beyoncé Knowles and Britney Spears from its advertising, it did so because the soft-drink giant decided the celebrities were getting more publicity trom the campaign than its brand. It consequently decided to concentrate its efforts on its brand proposition without endorsement, as did car marque Chrysler when it dumped Celine Pion from its ad campaign because, say insiders, 'the Dion commercials produced great sales for the singer, not the car'.
But such instances are rare. When Moss fell from grace last year, the use of celebrity endorsement was not questioned; the only moot point was who would be suitable to take her place. And the fact that the supermodel recently signed lucrative deals with several fashion houses, including Calvin Klein, which led to her being renamed 'Comeback Kate', suggests that not even scandal can get in the way of some celebrities.
However, it can, lor a number of reasons, be tough to choose a suitable star. While many make a decision based on gut feeling, Ian Downes, founder of Start Licensing, believes brand owners should consider the appropriateness of the association, its potential for their brand and how the association might develop.
'Key questions for the brand should be about the fit as well as risk assessment, 'he says.'This can include a number of criteria, ranging from the celebrity's ongoing profile - whether they will remain in the spotlight - through to the likelihood of their private lives harming the brand. Brand owners must also understand how the celebrity sees their equity being developed one concern must be that they are not overused commercially.'
Walkers, which recently signed Charlotte Church to feature alongside frontman Gary Lineker in its Sensations crisp campaign, chooses its endorsers carefully, according to a spokeswoman. 'We work with our agencies to assess a celebrity's suitability for the brand and whether they fit with the creative concept.' She adds that the Welsh singer was chosen because 'she is a real woman with a luxury lifestyle, which we felt fitted perfectly with the Sensations brand'.
Church, who reportedly pocketed a £100,000 fee for the spot, is the latest in a long line of stars to appear alongside the former England footballer during the course of his relationship with Walkers. Victoria Beckham, Kate Winslet, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and model Helena Christcnscn, not to mention fellow sportsmen Bobby Robson, Terry Venables, Paul Gascoigne and Steve Redgrave, are just some of the celebrities who have lined up with him since 2005.
Experts agree that credibility and attractiveness play an important role in creating effective endorsement communications. They are also vital in determining how well a celebrity might work for a brand. Another key factor is whether they are easy to work with.
Once a brand finds an appropriate frontman, it should begin to plan how it will develop a long-term relationship in order to make real money from the partnership; payback, say industry experts, can only be maximised from using that celebrity regularly over a long period of time.
Lineker's 11-year relationship with Walkers reveals how repetition can strengthen the association for consumers who are already aware of the endorsement, as well as increase the number of consumers who begin to link the brand and the celebrity, and thus boost the bottom line. According to an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising submission in 2002, Lineker's endorsement was delivering'an immediate return on investment of £ 1.70, building to £5.10 in the long-term'.
While relatively few brands can lay claim to the longevity of this relationship - or such a return - celebrity endorsement shows little sign of waning. In fact, licensing commentators agree that it is growing at pace because for the majority of marketers, the reward is clearly worth the risk.
SIDEBAR
Using celebrities to endorse brands is a powerful tactic, but stars must be chosen with care.
Ever since actress Lillie Langtry appeared on a pack of Pears soap in 1893, stars have lent their faces and names to the promotion of branded products, and firms have fallen over themselves to pay for the privilege.
There are two strategies that can he applied to the role of celebrities as marketing tool: with a celebrity licence, the individual affixes their likeness or logo to a product, while with celebrity endorsements, the star lends their name to someone else's product. It is these endorsements which, although risky, are the more relevant for marketers.
Companies spend millions to get their products endorsed, and according to Uche Okonkwo, a business strategist in Paris, one in four TV advertisements now use celebrities, compared with one in eight 10 years ago.
David Beckham, who has deals with brands from Gillette and Coty to Adidas and Police sunglasses, is now worth about £60m through endorsements and advertising alone, according to Bailey Beeken, show director of the Licensing International in New York. Industry speculation estimates that Nike spent $ 192m on its celebrity endorsement campaign in 2004.
Even comparatively smaller brands are using personalities to promote their products; consider the effect models Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir have had on Marks & Spencer's womenswear sales. Elsewhere, there is watch brand Tag Heuer's link with Brad Pitt, L'Oreal and its host of'worth it' girls - from (ennifer Aniston to Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria - Richard Branson and Samsonite luggage, and even Trinny and Susannah with Nescafe.
'Celebrities can build, refresh and add new dimensions to brands,' says Rick Isaacson, vice-president at IMG, a US licensing agency specialising in sports, entertainment and media, who is also chairing a seminar at the Licensing International 2006 exhibition in New York (see box, page 36).'What celebrities stand for enhances the brand, and marketers save valuable time in creating the credibility their client needs to build its brands,' he adds.'When consumers see a credible celebrity endorsing a product, they think that it must be OK.'
This is all very well - until the celebrity loses credibility. As supermodel Kate Moss proved not long ago, endorsement can cause grief if the personality gets into trouble. Moss was the face of four cosmetic and fashion groups when the so-called 'Cocaine Kate' scandal broke. The intense criticism that ensued in the media tarnished both her image and potentially that of the brands she endorsed, which led some of them to drop her.
As well as inappropriate behaviour, there is a danger that a celebrity's profile can be so big that it overshadows the brands they endorse. When Pepsi ditched singers Beyoncé Knowles and Britney Spears from its advertising, it did so because the soft-drink giant decided the celebrities were getting more publicity trom the campaign than its brand. It consequently decided to concentrate its efforts on its brand proposition without endorsement, as did car marque Chrysler when it dumped Celine Pion from its ad campaign because, say insiders, 'the Dion commercials produced great sales for the singer, not the car'.
But such instances are rare. When Moss fell from grace last year, the use of celebrity endorsement was not questioned; the only moot point was who would be suitable to take her place. And the fact that the supermodel recently signed lucrative deals with several fashion houses, including Calvin Klein, which led to her being renamed 'Comeback Kate', suggests that not even scandal can get in the way of some celebrities.
However, it can, lor a number of reasons, be tough to choose a suitable star. While many make a decision based on gut feeling, Ian Downes, founder of Start Licensing, believes brand owners should consider the appropriateness of the association, its potential for their brand and how the association might develop.
'Key questions for the brand should be about the fit as well as risk assessment, 'he says.'This can include a number of criteria, ranging from the celebrity's ongoing profile - whether they will remain in the spotlight - through to the likelihood of their private lives harming the brand. Brand owners must also understand how the celebrity sees their equity being developed one concern must be that they are not overused commercially.'
Walkers, which recently signed Charlotte Church to feature alongside frontman Gary Lineker in its Sensations crisp campaign, chooses its endorsers carefully, according to a spokeswoman. 'We work with our agencies to assess a celebrity's suitability for the brand and whether they fit with the creative concept.' She adds that the Welsh singer was chosen because 'she is a real woman with a luxury lifestyle, which we felt fitted perfectly with the Sensations brand'.
Church, who reportedly pocketed a £100,000 fee for the spot, is the latest in a long line of stars to appear alongside the former England footballer during the course of his relationship with Walkers. Victoria Beckham, Kate Winslet, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and model Helena Christcnscn, not to mention fellow sportsmen Bobby Robson, Terry Venables, Paul Gascoigne and Steve Redgrave, are just some of the celebrities who have lined up with him since 2005.
Experts agree that credibility and attractiveness play an important role in creating effective endorsement communications. They are also vital in determining how well a celebrity might work for a brand. Another key factor is whether they are easy to work with.
Once a brand finds an appropriate frontman, it should begin to plan how it will develop a long-term relationship in order to make real money from the partnership; payback, say industry experts, can only be maximised from using that celebrity regularly over a long period of time.
Lineker's 11-year relationship with Walkers reveals how repetition can strengthen the association for consumers who are already aware of the endorsement, as well as increase the number of consumers who begin to link the brand and the celebrity, and thus boost the bottom line. According to an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising submission in 2002, Lineker's endorsement was delivering'an immediate return on investment of £ 1.70, building to £5.10 in the long-term'.
While relatively few brands can lay claim to the longevity of this relationship - or such a return - celebrity endorsement shows little sign of waning. In fact, licensing commentators agree that it is growing at pace because for the majority of marketers, the reward is clearly worth the risk.
SIDEBAR
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
- Messages
- 12,226
- Reaction score
- 5
Art of Photography
The most successful brands achieve fame through their use of iconic imagery, so it is essential to find a photographer with the skill to turn your advertising concept into reality. Mark Roalfe on why the perfect picture can be worth a thousand words
Press advertising is not what it used to be. Long copy ads are a rarity nowadays. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with copy, but the photo has certainly become king. Many of today's press ads resemble posters in print.
Photography has become all important. Now, before we get too far into this, I had better own up to something about my tastes in photography. I'm no fan of the flat-lit, slightly Swedish-looking stuff that's all the rage at the moment. It was quite interesting when one or two people were doing it. But now, quite frankly, it has lost its novelty value and I'm not sure it creates a world that anyone who doesn't work in advertising wants to aspire to.
I'm glad I've got that of my chest, but I think my taste may be the basis of one of my principles of press advertising photography - it is used to create desire. I know that sounds a little simplistic, but we have to create brands people want to be seen with.
In doing this, we must also have a visual "tone of voice" for the brands we work for. A lot is talked about a verbal tone of voice but I think a visual one is equally - if not more - important. Maybe one of the best examples of this is car advertising. What makes one marque different from another or able to command a higher price? It is not all down to the engineering; a lot of it is to do with the imagery we build around the brand.
In the early days of my career, I worked on BMW at WCRS. Robert Campbell and I had finally got a BMW press ad through. Being the young upstart I was, I thought I would try to do it slightly differently. So off I went to the Cotswolds with a BMW 3 Series and a photographer. I did what I thought was rather a good shot and trotted back to the agency with it. I showed it to Ron Collins and Robin Wight, who "politely" asked me what on earth I was doing. Why had I made their precious Teutonic BMW look like a Volvo? A few days later, I was in Milton Keynes reshooting the ad against a typical BMW background of steel and glass. It was a hard lesson to learn but a good one - and it was my first about the photographic tone of voice. It is not about your own personal choice of what you think might make a good shot, it's about what is right for the brand.
At Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, we handle Land Rover. The 4x4 market is a very overcrowded place these days. However, compared with Land Rovers, the other 4x4s are pretenders. So we set out to prove the brand's true 4x4 credentials. Land Rover is also a brand with a bit of a personality, so we wanted to give it a sense of warmth. Mike Boles' and Jerry Hollens' "hippos" ad brought these qualities together perfectly. I remember when I first saw the rough, it was brilliantly simple and brought a smile to my face. However, a lot can go wrong between a rough and a finished ad.
In the briefing for this article, I was asked to discuss how to get the best from a photographer. I suppose everyone has their own way of going about it, but I think Hollens sets an example for any young art director to follow. First, he always seems to work with the very best photographer the budget will allow. Then, he really plans the shot, drawing the roughs in different ways, finding scrap art to get the feel he's after. Then, on the shoot, he always covers enough to give himself options. When Hollens comes back from the shoot, he spends a few days in the studio with Lee Aldridge, making sure the shot works before it goes anywhere near a retoucher. But throughout the process, his decisions are guided by the knowledge that the shot has to make the idea behind the ad work.
Now, I'm about to show my age. I worked on the launch of Today, Britain's first colour newspaper. At the time, it was a bit of a disaster. None of the colour shots were ever in register. There were sketches on Spitting Image about it and the phrase Eddie Shah-o-vision was coined. No-one thought colour repro would take off in the national press. The next thing we knew, The Sun's page three was in colour and the world had changed.
It was the fact that national press colour reproduction is now so good that led us to the Marks & Spencer press strategy. Women's magazines are crammed full of glossy fashion ads and we wanted a medium that would give us standout. Sadly, I don't think we claim to be the first to do this. A few years back, I remember seeing some full-page ads for Prada in the national press. They stood out like the proverbial "dogs", not just because they were out of their usual environment but also because of their size.
Now, choosing photographers to shoot an M&S campaign is never as easy as one might think. M&S is not a high-fashion brand but it is the nation's favourite high-street fashion brand. Most of the top fashion photographers only really specialise in high fashion. Their shots usually turn the models into something quite cold, whereas we were looking for warmth and humanity for M&S. It all comes down to what I was talking about earlier in terms of finding a photographer with the right photographic tone of voice. This year we chose Uli Weber. In his work, Weber treats the girls he shoots like real people rather than clothes-horses and the images he produces are always strong and iconic.
With M&S, not only is the choice of photographer all-important, so is the choice of model. This year we chose four different faces to reflect the diversity of the clothing ranges and the store's customers. The models were Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Noemie Lenoir and Laura Bailey. Twiggy, a national treasure, was to appeal to the older customer. O'Connor represented the other end of the spectrum to enhance the fashion credentials.
I wanted the shots to have a softness to them so we shot everything in natural daylight. It always produces good skin tones and creates a naturalness that I think suits M&S as a brand. This shoot was also the first time I have ever shot fashion digitally. I have to say I had my reservations at first but Weber, who had assured me I would not be able to tell the difference, was absolutely right. The results were excellent. There is one final ingredient that can turn what could be an ordinary shot into a great one, and that's a little bit of luck. Luck comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be that little burst of sunlight, that unexpected look from the model, or the suggestion you had not considered. When it comes, grab it with both hands, it could transform your picture.
Well, that's my lot. I hope it was helpful in some way or other. Thank you for reading - and be lucky.
SIDEBAR
"It is not about your own personal choice of what you think might make a good shot, it's about what is right for the brand"
SIDEBAR
Uli Weber photographer
With any advertising campaign, whether for a newspaper advertisement or a billboard, the final images have to have a lasting impact. You need to remember that the customer can simply glance at the picture or decide to stare at it for longer. The reaction you want is for your images to hold people's attention for as long as possible.
The current Marks & Spencer campaign involved a lot of teamwork. We took a good look at all the key elements: the product, backgrounds, lighting, models and poses, and came up with this solution for the shoot. It was a pleasure to have the possibility of working with Mark Roalfe at Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R on such an exciting project.
I decided to shoot digitally, but to give the feeling of real film. The result is that the pictures do not appear too sharp or unreal, but have the natural look that film would create. Also, the advantage of working on digital is that you can see the images straight away on screen. This allows for a much quicker turnaround because you can pick and choose images as you go along, immediately after each shot has been taken.
Using famous models is not essential, but it has worked in this case to raise the profile of this campaign. The secret is always to make sure you pick absolutely the right model.
The images were shot on location at Hampton Court House next to Hampton Court Palace in July. The models used for the shoot were Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey, Twiggy and Noemie Lenoir.
Working with all four models for this campaign was a pleasure. This particular shot of O'Connor has been popular because it is a classic portrait-style shot. This was achieved by using natural daylight, very little artificial light and a fairly long lens with little depth of field.
The beauty of these pictures is that even though the shots are about the clothes, they are also about the people in the photos - a representation of every woman is featured somewhere in this advertising campaign.
I take my inspiration from old photography books and I visit contemporary exhibitions in London and abroad whenever I have the chance. As a photographer I am able to turn this inspiration into something new in my work.
When the press ads appear it is very satisfying when the finished result is as you had imagined. But it is also reassuring when the product you are promoting sells afterwards - it confirms the success of the shoot.
I'm delighted with the pictures and I was fortunate to work with a great team of experts that ensured a fantastic final product.
SIDEBAR
Nick Georghiou photographer
"Hippos" was the first Land Rover concept I was asked to shoot for Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and, although it looked very simple, I soon realised there were some technical complications to overcome if we were to pull off the concept. The fact that hippos are some of the most dangerous animals didn't make me feel any easier.
The layout that the art director, Jerry Hollens, had produced was a Photoshop comp, rather than the line drawings I usually receive. As such, it was more finished, so I was a concerned about how free an interpretation he might want.
Africa was the obvious location for the shoot, but our research indicated that a production there would be difficult to control in the time available, and too expensive. So my African adventure was over before it had begun.
So I thought we could build a set on location and I put this idea and its execution to Jerry. To my surprise, both he and his creative director, Mark Roalfe, agreed. A set-building friend found an old airfield in Norfolk, close to where he lives, which gave us simple expanses of flat land and sky. A large pool was built, which ran from three inches deep at the back to one foot at camera position, with the car standing in a hole on a concrete base. Another hole was made to accommodate a life-size model of a hippo's head, and the pool was filled with water. The model hippo was used to cast the reflections in the muddy water and also to provide an edge that a studio shot of a hippo could easily be positioned upon. The model hippo was so good, however, that we blended it with the image of a real hippo to achieve the right look.
Jerry, like all good art directors, is a luxury for any photographer to work with. He has strong ideas and is unafraid to select a photographer for what he or she can bring to the table, rather than simply selecting a car, still-life, portrait or baked-bean photographer. I remember a meeting for a VW Polo studio concept when an account person asked me if I had ever shot a car before. I replied: "No, but, up until last week, I hadn't shot a fridge either." This ad, like "hippos", went on to win Campaign gold and silver awards.
It doesn't matter what the product is or what techniques are employed, the buzz for me is the challenge of working on interesting projects and making them the best they can be; collaboration, which is a vital ingredient of a successful advertising campaign; 120 per cent commitment from the whole team; and fun. Like the fun of watching Jerry running across an African plain pretending to be a springbok being chased by a cheeta
The most successful brands achieve fame through their use of iconic imagery, so it is essential to find a photographer with the skill to turn your advertising concept into reality. Mark Roalfe on why the perfect picture can be worth a thousand words
Press advertising is not what it used to be. Long copy ads are a rarity nowadays. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with copy, but the photo has certainly become king. Many of today's press ads resemble posters in print.
Photography has become all important. Now, before we get too far into this, I had better own up to something about my tastes in photography. I'm no fan of the flat-lit, slightly Swedish-looking stuff that's all the rage at the moment. It was quite interesting when one or two people were doing it. But now, quite frankly, it has lost its novelty value and I'm not sure it creates a world that anyone who doesn't work in advertising wants to aspire to.
I'm glad I've got that of my chest, but I think my taste may be the basis of one of my principles of press advertising photography - it is used to create desire. I know that sounds a little simplistic, but we have to create brands people want to be seen with.
In doing this, we must also have a visual "tone of voice" for the brands we work for. A lot is talked about a verbal tone of voice but I think a visual one is equally - if not more - important. Maybe one of the best examples of this is car advertising. What makes one marque different from another or able to command a higher price? It is not all down to the engineering; a lot of it is to do with the imagery we build around the brand.
In the early days of my career, I worked on BMW at WCRS. Robert Campbell and I had finally got a BMW press ad through. Being the young upstart I was, I thought I would try to do it slightly differently. So off I went to the Cotswolds with a BMW 3 Series and a photographer. I did what I thought was rather a good shot and trotted back to the agency with it. I showed it to Ron Collins and Robin Wight, who "politely" asked me what on earth I was doing. Why had I made their precious Teutonic BMW look like a Volvo? A few days later, I was in Milton Keynes reshooting the ad against a typical BMW background of steel and glass. It was a hard lesson to learn but a good one - and it was my first about the photographic tone of voice. It is not about your own personal choice of what you think might make a good shot, it's about what is right for the brand.
At Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, we handle Land Rover. The 4x4 market is a very overcrowded place these days. However, compared with Land Rovers, the other 4x4s are pretenders. So we set out to prove the brand's true 4x4 credentials. Land Rover is also a brand with a bit of a personality, so we wanted to give it a sense of warmth. Mike Boles' and Jerry Hollens' "hippos" ad brought these qualities together perfectly. I remember when I first saw the rough, it was brilliantly simple and brought a smile to my face. However, a lot can go wrong between a rough and a finished ad.
In the briefing for this article, I was asked to discuss how to get the best from a photographer. I suppose everyone has their own way of going about it, but I think Hollens sets an example for any young art director to follow. First, he always seems to work with the very best photographer the budget will allow. Then, he really plans the shot, drawing the roughs in different ways, finding scrap art to get the feel he's after. Then, on the shoot, he always covers enough to give himself options. When Hollens comes back from the shoot, he spends a few days in the studio with Lee Aldridge, making sure the shot works before it goes anywhere near a retoucher. But throughout the process, his decisions are guided by the knowledge that the shot has to make the idea behind the ad work.
Now, I'm about to show my age. I worked on the launch of Today, Britain's first colour newspaper. At the time, it was a bit of a disaster. None of the colour shots were ever in register. There were sketches on Spitting Image about it and the phrase Eddie Shah-o-vision was coined. No-one thought colour repro would take off in the national press. The next thing we knew, The Sun's page three was in colour and the world had changed.
It was the fact that national press colour reproduction is now so good that led us to the Marks & Spencer press strategy. Women's magazines are crammed full of glossy fashion ads and we wanted a medium that would give us standout. Sadly, I don't think we claim to be the first to do this. A few years back, I remember seeing some full-page ads for Prada in the national press. They stood out like the proverbial "dogs", not just because they were out of their usual environment but also because of their size.
Now, choosing photographers to shoot an M&S campaign is never as easy as one might think. M&S is not a high-fashion brand but it is the nation's favourite high-street fashion brand. Most of the top fashion photographers only really specialise in high fashion. Their shots usually turn the models into something quite cold, whereas we were looking for warmth and humanity for M&S. It all comes down to what I was talking about earlier in terms of finding a photographer with the right photographic tone of voice. This year we chose Uli Weber. In his work, Weber treats the girls he shoots like real people rather than clothes-horses and the images he produces are always strong and iconic.
With M&S, not only is the choice of photographer all-important, so is the choice of model. This year we chose four different faces to reflect the diversity of the clothing ranges and the store's customers. The models were Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Noemie Lenoir and Laura Bailey. Twiggy, a national treasure, was to appeal to the older customer. O'Connor represented the other end of the spectrum to enhance the fashion credentials.
I wanted the shots to have a softness to them so we shot everything in natural daylight. It always produces good skin tones and creates a naturalness that I think suits M&S as a brand. This shoot was also the first time I have ever shot fashion digitally. I have to say I had my reservations at first but Weber, who had assured me I would not be able to tell the difference, was absolutely right. The results were excellent. There is one final ingredient that can turn what could be an ordinary shot into a great one, and that's a little bit of luck. Luck comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be that little burst of sunlight, that unexpected look from the model, or the suggestion you had not considered. When it comes, grab it with both hands, it could transform your picture.
Well, that's my lot. I hope it was helpful in some way or other. Thank you for reading - and be lucky.
SIDEBAR
"It is not about your own personal choice of what you think might make a good shot, it's about what is right for the brand"
SIDEBAR
Uli Weber photographer
With any advertising campaign, whether for a newspaper advertisement or a billboard, the final images have to have a lasting impact. You need to remember that the customer can simply glance at the picture or decide to stare at it for longer. The reaction you want is for your images to hold people's attention for as long as possible.
The current Marks & Spencer campaign involved a lot of teamwork. We took a good look at all the key elements: the product, backgrounds, lighting, models and poses, and came up with this solution for the shoot. It was a pleasure to have the possibility of working with Mark Roalfe at Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R on such an exciting project.
I decided to shoot digitally, but to give the feeling of real film. The result is that the pictures do not appear too sharp or unreal, but have the natural look that film would create. Also, the advantage of working on digital is that you can see the images straight away on screen. This allows for a much quicker turnaround because you can pick and choose images as you go along, immediately after each shot has been taken.
Using famous models is not essential, but it has worked in this case to raise the profile of this campaign. The secret is always to make sure you pick absolutely the right model.
The images were shot on location at Hampton Court House next to Hampton Court Palace in July. The models used for the shoot were Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey, Twiggy and Noemie Lenoir.
Working with all four models for this campaign was a pleasure. This particular shot of O'Connor has been popular because it is a classic portrait-style shot. This was achieved by using natural daylight, very little artificial light and a fairly long lens with little depth of field.
The beauty of these pictures is that even though the shots are about the clothes, they are also about the people in the photos - a representation of every woman is featured somewhere in this advertising campaign.
I take my inspiration from old photography books and I visit contemporary exhibitions in London and abroad whenever I have the chance. As a photographer I am able to turn this inspiration into something new in my work.
When the press ads appear it is very satisfying when the finished result is as you had imagined. But it is also reassuring when the product you are promoting sells afterwards - it confirms the success of the shoot.
I'm delighted with the pictures and I was fortunate to work with a great team of experts that ensured a fantastic final product.
SIDEBAR
Nick Georghiou photographer
"Hippos" was the first Land Rover concept I was asked to shoot for Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and, although it looked very simple, I soon realised there were some technical complications to overcome if we were to pull off the concept. The fact that hippos are some of the most dangerous animals didn't make me feel any easier.
The layout that the art director, Jerry Hollens, had produced was a Photoshop comp, rather than the line drawings I usually receive. As such, it was more finished, so I was a concerned about how free an interpretation he might want.
Africa was the obvious location for the shoot, but our research indicated that a production there would be difficult to control in the time available, and too expensive. So my African adventure was over before it had begun.
So I thought we could build a set on location and I put this idea and its execution to Jerry. To my surprise, both he and his creative director, Mark Roalfe, agreed. A set-building friend found an old airfield in Norfolk, close to where he lives, which gave us simple expanses of flat land and sky. A large pool was built, which ran from three inches deep at the back to one foot at camera position, with the car standing in a hole on a concrete base. Another hole was made to accommodate a life-size model of a hippo's head, and the pool was filled with water. The model hippo was used to cast the reflections in the muddy water and also to provide an edge that a studio shot of a hippo could easily be positioned upon. The model hippo was so good, however, that we blended it with the image of a real hippo to achieve the right look.
Jerry, like all good art directors, is a luxury for any photographer to work with. He has strong ideas and is unafraid to select a photographer for what he or she can bring to the table, rather than simply selecting a car, still-life, portrait or baked-bean photographer. I remember a meeting for a VW Polo studio concept when an account person asked me if I had ever shot a car before. I replied: "No, but, up until last week, I hadn't shot a fridge either." This ad, like "hippos", went on to win Campaign gold and silver awards.
It doesn't matter what the product is or what techniques are employed, the buzz for me is the challenge of working on interesting projects and making them the best they can be; collaboration, which is a vital ingredient of a successful advertising campaign; 120 per cent commitment from the whole team; and fun. Like the fun of watching Jerry running across an African plain pretending to be a springbok being chased by a cheeta
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
- Messages
- 12,226
- Reaction score
- 5
Haymarket
M&S Womenswear: 'Autumn collection'
Byline: Reich, Charlotte
ISSN: 00253650
Publication Date: 10-05-2005
Page: 24
Section: Presswatch
Type: Periodical
Language: English
People who know me will say it is typical I have chosen to write about a fashion brand. When devouring the women's glossy magazines and weekend supplements, I always head straight for the fashion pages.
This M&S women's fashion campaign caught my eye for a couple of reasons. First, the clothes look fabulous and, second, they are shot brilliantly and blend perfectly with the fashion environment in which they appear. At first glance the ads could even be mistaken for a magazine shoot.
The media strategy also impressed me. The campaign runs in the upmarket glossy weeklies and the weekend supplements. Monitoring weekly sales figures is crucial for retailers and this campaign is as much about driving sales as changing perceptions and growing awareness.
Consecutive pages showcasing different creative executions have been booked within many of the titles to ensure maximum standout and to demonstrate the wide range of fashion available from M&S.
There is a real sense of both youth and elegance to the campaign helped by the models that appear in the ads: Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir. The decision to use Twiggy shows that M&S still has something to offer the more mature consumer who may have recently become disillusioned with the brand.
By using well-known fashion icons, M&S is speaking to its core target markets in a relevant and aspirational way. The ad is not only beautiful but also practical, as it lists the prices of the clothes featured. For the fashion-hungry reader this is hugely helpful and shows M&S has taken the time to really understand its audience.
In addition, the 'Your M&S' strapline speaks volumes about the brand, communicating the idea that there is something for everyone in its stores - a credible statement as this message is consistent across all the brand's current advertising.
The fashion ads are a genuine part of the whole experience of reading a magazine and newspaper supplement. The relationship these readers have with their favoured titles has a positive effect on the advertisers appearing within them and M&S should benefit from this.
So, with pay-day looming and late-night shopping on Thursday, I, for one, will be stopping off at the Marble Arch M&S to purchase that lovely cashmere wrap before they sell out.
M&S Womenswear: 'Autumn collection'
Byline: Reich, Charlotte
ISSN: 00253650
Publication Date: 10-05-2005
Page: 24
Section: Presswatch
Type: Periodical
Language: English
People who know me will say it is typical I have chosen to write about a fashion brand. When devouring the women's glossy magazines and weekend supplements, I always head straight for the fashion pages.
This M&S women's fashion campaign caught my eye for a couple of reasons. First, the clothes look fabulous and, second, they are shot brilliantly and blend perfectly with the fashion environment in which they appear. At first glance the ads could even be mistaken for a magazine shoot.
The media strategy also impressed me. The campaign runs in the upmarket glossy weeklies and the weekend supplements. Monitoring weekly sales figures is crucial for retailers and this campaign is as much about driving sales as changing perceptions and growing awareness.
Consecutive pages showcasing different creative executions have been booked within many of the titles to ensure maximum standout and to demonstrate the wide range of fashion available from M&S.
There is a real sense of both youth and elegance to the campaign helped by the models that appear in the ads: Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir. The decision to use Twiggy shows that M&S still has something to offer the more mature consumer who may have recently become disillusioned with the brand.
By using well-known fashion icons, M&S is speaking to its core target markets in a relevant and aspirational way. The ad is not only beautiful but also practical, as it lists the prices of the clothes featured. For the fashion-hungry reader this is hugely helpful and shows M&S has taken the time to really understand its audience.
In addition, the 'Your M&S' strapline speaks volumes about the brand, communicating the idea that there is something for everyone in its stores - a credible statement as this message is consistent across all the brand's current advertising.
The fashion ads are a genuine part of the whole experience of reading a magazine and newspaper supplement. The relationship these readers have with their favoured titles has a positive effect on the advertisers appearing within them and M&S should benefit from this.
So, with pay-day looming and late-night shopping on Thursday, I, for one, will be stopping off at the Marble Arch M&S to purchase that lovely cashmere wrap before they sell out.
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
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- 12,226
- Reaction score
- 5
Daily Star
IZZLING Noémie Lenoir and Myleene Klass have helped Marks & Spencer to make £1billion profit.
TD
A sterling effort by the sexy models on the advertising front means the firm's biggest annual profit for a decade.
Noémie, 28, and Myleene, 30, have pulled in the M&S shoppers by starring alongside the likes of Twiggy, 58, Lizzie Jagger, 24, Erin O'Connor, 30, and Laura Bailey, 35.
But in bad news for the firm, City experts predict bonuses for the 75,000 staff will only be a fraction of last year's £91million payout, as shoppers are hit by the credit crunch.
Chief executive Sir Stuart Rose, 59, has also missed out on a bonus of up to £3m, according to pundits.
Pre-tax profits were up 4% to just over £1bn, only the second time in the company's history it has hit the magic figure.
But M&S suffered a disappointing Christmas, and like-for-like sales fell 1.7% in the last three months of the financial year.
Shares have also fallen to almost half their value.
Sir Stuart, who is on a salary of £1.13m, said: "We did not meet the profit target and we did not deserve the bonus.
"At the end of the day, if you don't earn it you don't get it." A source said: "There's no doubt these girls helped the firm's profits.
"Women snapped up the clothes because they wanted to look as good as these models.
"Even though it's not as much as managers hoped, it is not to be sniffed at." M&S, which spent around £1bn modernising stores last year, is also reviewing its food business. It may decide to sell non-M&S-brand products for the first time.
IZZLING Noémie Lenoir and Myleene Klass have helped Marks & Spencer to make £1billion profit.
TD
A sterling effort by the sexy models on the advertising front means the firm's biggest annual profit for a decade.
Noémie, 28, and Myleene, 30, have pulled in the M&S shoppers by starring alongside the likes of Twiggy, 58, Lizzie Jagger, 24, Erin O'Connor, 30, and Laura Bailey, 35.
But in bad news for the firm, City experts predict bonuses for the 75,000 staff will only be a fraction of last year's £91million payout, as shoppers are hit by the credit crunch.
Chief executive Sir Stuart Rose, 59, has also missed out on a bonus of up to £3m, according to pundits.
Pre-tax profits were up 4% to just over £1bn, only the second time in the company's history it has hit the magic figure.
But M&S suffered a disappointing Christmas, and like-for-like sales fell 1.7% in the last three months of the financial year.
Shares have also fallen to almost half their value.
Sir Stuart, who is on a salary of £1.13m, said: "We did not meet the profit target and we did not deserve the bonus.
"At the end of the day, if you don't earn it you don't get it." A source said: "There's no doubt these girls helped the firm's profits.
"Women snapped up the clothes because they wanted to look as good as these models.
"Even though it's not as much as managers hoped, it is not to be sniffed at." M&S, which spent around £1bn modernising stores last year, is also reviewing its food business. It may decide to sell non-M&S-brand products for the first time.
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
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- 12,226
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- 5
The Express
he programmes are in the doldrums and, most nights, it seems like there is not even enough mediocrity to go round.
Old favourites such as Spooks are so far past their sell-by dates it's embarrassing. Those slick plots have become largely incomprehensible and self-indulgent.
Trinny and Susannah appear to be turning into Hinge and Bracket now they're trying to Undress The Nation. It's a horrific humiliation for all concerned.
There's a new edge of cruelty about many programmes. C4's once-popular Property Ladder now features Sarah Beeny positively relishing the latest disaster of some would-be developers.
As Christmas approaches, there's no sign of any unmissable shows. Schedules seem clogged with dire dramas and reality rubbish and even our soaps are sagging as they store up shockhorror surprises for the holidays.
But, mercifully, there is a viewing area that is wonderfully entertaining and packed with magical moments – the commercials. Before our very eyes a strange transformation has taken place. The adverts have become the new programmes.
They're slick, stylish, sophisticated and studded with stars and production values that would not look out of place in a Hollywood film. They have become the best things on TV.
Nicole Kidman's elegant excursion in the cause of Chanel No5 is my favourite. It's a romance in 90 seconds, as beautiful Nicole, looking like several million dollars, plays the heroine who forgets all about fame and fortune just long enough to entrance viewers. Just behind in best show, sorry, advert of the season contest is the Marks & Spencer epic featuring Elizabeth Jagger, Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir, Erin O'Connor and Twiggy as the Musical Belles showing off the revived store's clothes to great effect.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year, " trills the chorus as the beaming beauties ogle Antonio Banderas, who stars as "Him".
Antonio doesn't look too special to me but I've witnessed enough raunchy reactions from normally restrained women to know he'd be high on their festive wish list.
And if M&S's clothes advert doesn't grab you, its food one surely will.
Dervla Kirwan's velvety voice oozes on so sensuously about "rich creamy baked camembert" and "full-bodied wine with a fruity flavour" it's almost hypnotic.
"This is not just food, this is M&S food, " says Dervla, as red-blooded men around the country twitch in their armchairs and wonder about the whereabouts of the nearest M&S.
Julie Walters's inspired installation as an Asda trainee also shows that there could still be life left in the great British sitcom. The award-winning actress looks remarkably convincing as a high-spirited shop-worker. At one point she hurtles round on a scooter and squeals: "Ooh, I did a wheelie then. Did you see?" Tesco has humour on show, too, and its carefully choreographed ad featuring the Spice Girls reveals a surprisingly amusing side to the comeback pop queens.
Mind you, not all supermarkets have chosen the right stars. Lulu does a good job chirpily extolling the freshness of everything at Morrisons. But she is teamed with an awkward Alan Hansen, who looks so uncomfortable you'd think he was delivering his lines to a loaded gun rather than a camera.
The car adverts are always worth watching, unless you get vertigo seeing that Vauxhall Antara hurtling round the rooftops.
Fiat's elaborately staged repeat of The Italian Job, to promote its Punto, is much more fun, particularly if you're shopping for a car to drive through fountains.
Renault's Laguna also seems keen to make a splash with a miraculously floating routine.
The sheer inventiveness of some adverts is breathtaking.
And the contrast with some deeply dreary programmes is relentlessly highlighted.
TAKE, for instance the sparkling Schweppes advert featuring lookalikes of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair pulling a cracker, which pops up after 15 minutes of low-budget twaddle about home improvement or moronic makeover malarkey.
Des Lynam is a commercial star as the warm and witty Setanta Claus and Vodafone's Gene Kelly tribute can enliven the most miserable night.
The Carling spaceship routine is out of this world and the Led Zeppelin ad for Mothership is another memorable moment.
I never thought I'd find myself so bored by the programmes that I'd be waiting for the adverts but it's happened. The ads are imaginative and highly entertaining.
The first network to screen a commercials-only channel will be on a certain winner.
he programmes are in the doldrums and, most nights, it seems like there is not even enough mediocrity to go round.
Old favourites such as Spooks are so far past their sell-by dates it's embarrassing. Those slick plots have become largely incomprehensible and self-indulgent.
Trinny and Susannah appear to be turning into Hinge and Bracket now they're trying to Undress The Nation. It's a horrific humiliation for all concerned.
There's a new edge of cruelty about many programmes. C4's once-popular Property Ladder now features Sarah Beeny positively relishing the latest disaster of some would-be developers.
As Christmas approaches, there's no sign of any unmissable shows. Schedules seem clogged with dire dramas and reality rubbish and even our soaps are sagging as they store up shockhorror surprises for the holidays.
But, mercifully, there is a viewing area that is wonderfully entertaining and packed with magical moments – the commercials. Before our very eyes a strange transformation has taken place. The adverts have become the new programmes.
They're slick, stylish, sophisticated and studded with stars and production values that would not look out of place in a Hollywood film. They have become the best things on TV.
Nicole Kidman's elegant excursion in the cause of Chanel No5 is my favourite. It's a romance in 90 seconds, as beautiful Nicole, looking like several million dollars, plays the heroine who forgets all about fame and fortune just long enough to entrance viewers. Just behind in best show, sorry, advert of the season contest is the Marks & Spencer epic featuring Elizabeth Jagger, Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir, Erin O'Connor and Twiggy as the Musical Belles showing off the revived store's clothes to great effect.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year, " trills the chorus as the beaming beauties ogle Antonio Banderas, who stars as "Him".
Antonio doesn't look too special to me but I've witnessed enough raunchy reactions from normally restrained women to know he'd be high on their festive wish list.
And if M&S's clothes advert doesn't grab you, its food one surely will.
Dervla Kirwan's velvety voice oozes on so sensuously about "rich creamy baked camembert" and "full-bodied wine with a fruity flavour" it's almost hypnotic.
"This is not just food, this is M&S food, " says Dervla, as red-blooded men around the country twitch in their armchairs and wonder about the whereabouts of the nearest M&S.
Julie Walters's inspired installation as an Asda trainee also shows that there could still be life left in the great British sitcom. The award-winning actress looks remarkably convincing as a high-spirited shop-worker. At one point she hurtles round on a scooter and squeals: "Ooh, I did a wheelie then. Did you see?" Tesco has humour on show, too, and its carefully choreographed ad featuring the Spice Girls reveals a surprisingly amusing side to the comeback pop queens.
Mind you, not all supermarkets have chosen the right stars. Lulu does a good job chirpily extolling the freshness of everything at Morrisons. But she is teamed with an awkward Alan Hansen, who looks so uncomfortable you'd think he was delivering his lines to a loaded gun rather than a camera.
The car adverts are always worth watching, unless you get vertigo seeing that Vauxhall Antara hurtling round the rooftops.
Fiat's elaborately staged repeat of The Italian Job, to promote its Punto, is much more fun, particularly if you're shopping for a car to drive through fountains.
Renault's Laguna also seems keen to make a splash with a miraculously floating routine.
The sheer inventiveness of some adverts is breathtaking.
And the contrast with some deeply dreary programmes is relentlessly highlighted.
TAKE, for instance the sparkling Schweppes advert featuring lookalikes of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair pulling a cracker, which pops up after 15 minutes of low-budget twaddle about home improvement or moronic makeover malarkey.
Des Lynam is a commercial star as the warm and witty Setanta Claus and Vodafone's Gene Kelly tribute can enliven the most miserable night.
The Carling spaceship routine is out of this world and the Led Zeppelin ad for Mothership is another memorable moment.
I never thought I'd find myself so bored by the programmes that I'd be waiting for the adverts but it's happened. The ads are imaginative and highly entertaining.
The first network to screen a commercials-only channel will be on a certain winner.
scriptgirl
Active Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2006
- Messages
- 12,226
- Reaction score
- 5
The Independent
TD
Marks & Spencer launched a £1bn share buy-back yesterday as it outlined plans for overseas expansion.
The high-street retailer reported a higher-than-expected rise in first-half pre-tax profits, up 11.5 per cent to £451.8m.
However, sales growth slowed from 2 per cent in the first quarter to 1.2 per cent into the second, giving an overall figure of 1.6 per cent in the six months to 29 September. Food sales were particularly poor during a summer which saw consumers ditching plans for barbecues and picnics due to days of endless rain.
Chief executive Stuart Rose said this was "a creditable first half in a difficult market". He was cautious on the outlook for the consumer environment, but nonetheless remains confident in M&S.
"The actions we have taken to reposition and revitalise M&S over the last three years put us in a good position to continue to outperform."
The high-street retailer surprised the City by announcing the share buyback and by raising the interim dividend 32 per cent to 8.3p. "These decisions reflect our confidence in the strength and prospects of the business," he said. Investors welcomed the move and shares in the company jumped 3.3 per cent over the day to close 21p ahead at 653p.
The company"s store modernisation programme, which has helped attract consumers, will see 70 per cent of store space modernised by Christmas and 90 per cent updated by the end of next year.
Mr Rose also revealed the company is to enter China next year with stores planned for Shanghai, and will also increase its spend in India.
Asked about his future at the company following speculation he was about to quit, Mr Rose said: "Don"t write me off yet. Reports of my demise are somewhat exaggerated."
Following on from its coup of signing Dame Shirley Bassey for its glitzy Christmas campaign last year, M&S launches this year"s festive ad tomorrow night, featuring Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas in the role of a 1940s film star, alongside regulars Twiggy, Erin O"Connor, Lizzie Jagger, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir.
Celebrities sell by bringing extra column inches to the brand. Reports that Victoria Beckham had bought M&S"s black leather dress ensured that it became one of the big autumn sellers.
The company"s green credentials also continue to be a hit with shoppers. M&S yesterday announced it is to introduce a 5p charge for plastic bags in England following a successful trial in Northern Ireland. This led to a 66 per cent reduction in bag consumption.
TD
Marks & Spencer launched a £1bn share buy-back yesterday as it outlined plans for overseas expansion.
The high-street retailer reported a higher-than-expected rise in first-half pre-tax profits, up 11.5 per cent to £451.8m.
However, sales growth slowed from 2 per cent in the first quarter to 1.2 per cent into the second, giving an overall figure of 1.6 per cent in the six months to 29 September. Food sales were particularly poor during a summer which saw consumers ditching plans for barbecues and picnics due to days of endless rain.
Chief executive Stuart Rose said this was "a creditable first half in a difficult market". He was cautious on the outlook for the consumer environment, but nonetheless remains confident in M&S.
"The actions we have taken to reposition and revitalise M&S over the last three years put us in a good position to continue to outperform."
The high-street retailer surprised the City by announcing the share buyback and by raising the interim dividend 32 per cent to 8.3p. "These decisions reflect our confidence in the strength and prospects of the business," he said. Investors welcomed the move and shares in the company jumped 3.3 per cent over the day to close 21p ahead at 653p.
The company"s store modernisation programme, which has helped attract consumers, will see 70 per cent of store space modernised by Christmas and 90 per cent updated by the end of next year.
Mr Rose also revealed the company is to enter China next year with stores planned for Shanghai, and will also increase its spend in India.
Asked about his future at the company following speculation he was about to quit, Mr Rose said: "Don"t write me off yet. Reports of my demise are somewhat exaggerated."
Following on from its coup of signing Dame Shirley Bassey for its glitzy Christmas campaign last year, M&S launches this year"s festive ad tomorrow night, featuring Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas in the role of a 1940s film star, alongside regulars Twiggy, Erin O"Connor, Lizzie Jagger, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir.
Celebrities sell by bringing extra column inches to the brand. Reports that Victoria Beckham had bought M&S"s black leather dress ensured that it became one of the big autumn sellers.
The company"s green credentials also continue to be a hit with shoppers. M&S yesterday announced it is to introduce a 5p charge for plastic bags in England following a successful trial in Northern Ireland. This led to a 66 per cent reduction in bag consumption.
