Sunday, August 12, 2007

Lord & Taylor to launch $10m celebrity model-focused rebranding ad campaign

WGSN

Department store group Lord & Taylor is set to launch a $10m celebrity model-focused rebranding campaign to spotlight both its updated image and 181-year heritage. The campaign will debut in mid-August and run through the Holiday season.

Showcasing the results of a four-year repositioning, the campaign features a cast of celebrities that include models Carolyn Murphy, Lauren Hutton, Jacquetta Wheeler, Hanne Termote, Megan McNeirney and Erin Heatherton, as well as artist Ed Ruscha, socialites Lauren Davis and Lydia Hearst, plus the children of John McEnroe and Clint Eastwood.

"The stunning images depicted in this campaign will signify Lord & Taylor's relevance in the speciality department store arena," noted CEO Jane Elfers.

Created by ad-man David Lipman and shot in California by Mario Testino, the "striking ads project Lord & Taylor's innate style: unapologetically classic with a multigenerational attitude", said the retailer.

The images will appear in multi-page spreads in the September issues of Vogue and Vanity Fair and in ads featured in W, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Town & Country, Cookie, In Style, Interview and GQ as well as in major national newspapers.

In addition, 25 billboards will be placed in Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, railroad stations in upscale suburban areas and the Bryant Park Tents during New York Fashion Week.

As part of the re-branding, a $250m capital budget has been earmarked over the next five years by NRDC Equity Partners, which purchased Lord & Taylor from Federated for $1.1bn in 2006.

4 comments:

  1. Glad to see you back in the blogging game! You always know things I need to know. Just checked the L&T website and it is revamped. You can see the whole campaign there. It finally looks good. It sat there for way too long. Always liked L&T, just hate they pulled out of Atlanta. I think they'd have survived there had they reinvented themselves in time because Atlanta, as new as it is, is still a traditional place.

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  2. Unfortunately, I’m still in and out right now. I have a story to post in a few minutes about John Belk, but I’m not as focused on this place as I should be.

    I’m really rooting for Lord & Taylor to come back from the virtual ashes. It’s the only nameplate that survived both ADG and May Company, and fact that someone still wants to save it gives some credibility to its existence.

    The retrenchment that May did, I guess, had to be done, but was really rough from an image and advertising standpoint. L&T is back in its strongest markets, but I think a bigger chain would have more leverage with the revamp they’re trying to do. They should have at least kept the major markets like Atlanta, Denver and Dallas.

    I made it a point of going to the New York store last time I was there. I was more impressed than when it was a may store, but it still had a very long way to go. The place is badly in need of a remodel and the new fresh merchandise had yet to arrive. Still, it held its own among the mass of stores if competes against and showed signs of genuine growth and future potential.

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  3. I was very excited to hear about their rebranding. I have always enjoyed Lord & Taylor and would really like for this to be the move that they needed. I have seen the new ads and think they are tastefully done and very appealing. They have the classic and timeless fashion feel that I love and in my opinion is necessary for a successful department store. They are positioning them in perfect outlets to reach their target audience. I'm really hoping this is going to work out for L&T.

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  4. I agree, Matilda. I think Lord & Taylor could really do something great with this new campaign.

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