August, 2014 – This article from Luxury Daily discusses the large ad spreads that fashion and jewelry marketers placed in the always-anticipated Vogue September issue. (http://www.luxurydaily.com/louis-vuitton-burberry-used-lengthy-campaigns-in-september-vogue-to-remain-top-of-mind/)
By Sarah Jones
Fashion and jewelry marketers turned to Condé Nast women’s magazine Vogue’s September issue to run long-form campaigns.
Dior, Ralph Lauren and Armani were among the brands that used repetition and multi-page ads to be remembered by consumers as they went shopping for their fall wardrobes. Taking out larger blocks of space may have helped them stand out within the 631 ad pages in the issue.
“The September Vogue is something that the fashion, beauty, and jewelry industries, as well as their consumers and the media, look forward to each year,†said Ron Kurtz, president of the American Affluence Research Center, Atlanta.
“The advertisers are looking to make a bold statement to kick off the fourth quarter buying season and the consumers and media are looking for the style trends that are being introduced,†he said.
“In many respects it becomes a reference source that people will keep and refer to over an extended  period of time. It has much longer shelf life than other issues.â€
Mr. Kurtz is not affiliated with Vogue, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Condé Nast’s Vogue, which did not respond by press deadline, has a total average circulation of 1,222,323 readers with a median household income of $69,447.
Familiar faces
The cover features nine “models of the moment,†including Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss and Edie Campbell, who appear in many of the ads within the publication.
“The issue theme and editorial about the models may help focus attention on some of the ads and cause readers to look for the ads,†Mr. Kurtz said. “This will also give the ads somewhat of a human connection to the models that are featured.â€
Rather than opening with a fashion placement, the issue began with a four-page foldout effort from Ralph Lauren for its Midnight Romance fragrance, which shows a young couple embracing on a beach.
The fashion advertising began with a six page campaign from Prada for both apparel and handbags and a four-page spread for Dior. Dior reappeared later in the book with multiple pages to refresh consumers’ minds on its fashion.
Ralph Lauren appeared for a second time in the issue with three double-page ads, two highlighting white apparel and the other focusing on an ivory Ultra-Large Ricky bag.
Estée Lauder was the first beauty marketer to appear in the issue, running its campaign for its Perfectionist makeup.
Gucci ran six pages of its pastel fall fashions, while Louis Vuitton dedicated eight to its Series 1 campaign.
Lancôme showed off its Lupita Nyong’o-fronted ad for its Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation. In the front of the book, the beauty marketer appeared again four times with campaigns featuring Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz and spokesmodel Carolyn Murphy.
Fendi ran four pages of fashions set against a Roman arches, while Chanel placed six pages of models in a boxing gym.
Burberry used its three double-page ads to show off its hand-painted apparel and accessories for men and women. This was followed by placements from Saint Laurent Paris, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu for apparel and accessories.
Michael Kors first appeared with a fragrance campaign for its Sporty, Sexy and Glam scents. Next were fellow U.S. brands Donna Karan and David Yurman, which ran its nostalgic Kate Moss effort for six pages.
Michael Kors returned to be remembered in consumer’s minds with a jetsetting multi-page apparel advertisement.
Omega was the first watchmaker in the issue, promoting its Ladymatic with Nicole Kidman as the face.
Other front page brands included La Mer and Chanel, which appeared a second time with watch ads.
Finishing out the front pages for apparel were Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Céline and La Perla, which showcased its made-to-measure lingerie.
Right before the table of contents, Alexander McQueen ran its fall advertising campaign, which shows Ms. Campbell in a dark, lavishly decorated room.
Across from the first table of contents page, Dior looked to be noticed with a fold-out effort for its J’adore fragrance printed on thicker paper. Tiffany also used this type of paper stock in the pages after to highlight its T collection.
Jimmy Choo and Versace also ran ads in between the table of content pages.
Continuing the multi-page ad trend, Nordstrom took out 16 non-glossy pages to share its designer lines from Givenchy, Gucci, Dior and more.
Prada ran its pink ad for its Candy Florale perfume, followed by Bally, Oscar de la Renta and Belstaff multi-page ads for apparel.
Armani appeared next to the second table of contents page, with eight pages for its lime and grey fall campaign.
Showcasing the range of brands carried in-store, from Marni to Marc Jacobs, Saks placed a 24-page lookbook.
Bergdorf Goodman chose to focus on footwear and accessories from Manolo Blahnik and others in its four-page look book, while Neiman Marcus took 20 pages for its Art of Fashion campaign.
Longchamp stuck to one white tote bag in a four-page Alexa Chung effort.
Net-A-Porter and Valentino both used black-and-white imagery to differentiate, with the retailer using one model and packages to highlight its delivery.
Also in the front of the book were Chloé’s road trip, Marc Jacobs’ Jessica Lange beauty campaign, Ferragamo’s Fiamma bag, Loewe’s beachy scene and Swarovski’s Miranda Kerr jewelry campaign. Givenchy, Moschino, Tod’s, Balmain, Tom Ford and Kenzo used multiple models to show off more apparel.
Armani appeared for a second time with a pull-out for its new fragrance SÃ. Chanel, Chloé and Marc Jacobs also reappeared with beauty efforts for eyeshadow and fragrance.
Moncler focused on its Gamme Rouge line designed by Giambattista Valli, showing both men’s and women’s outerwear.
Ms. Campbell made another cameo in Lanvin’s four-page fall campaign, which shows her with her real-life family.
Mercedes-Benz looked to the stylish readers to share its fashion campaign with Tilda Swinton.
Further into the issue were ads for Chopard, Roberto Cavalli, Hermès, Balenciaga, Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist fragrance, Dolce & Gabbana’s makeup and Bulgari.
Printed page
In the wake of the United States Vogue announcing its slimmer September edition, British Vogue prepared its largest fashion issue ever.
The U.S. version has 631 pages of advertisements, 4.5 percent smaller than the same issue last year, while the British edition, although smaller than the U.S., hosts 293 pages of advertising, the largest ever. The Vogue ad page count, despite being smaller than the past in the U.S., indicates that print is still a viable platform.
In the major fashion season turnover issue, brands often look to repetition to keep up a level of awareness among plentiful ad pages.
Fashion marketers such as Chanel, Gucci and Fendi aimed to make their presence known by featuring multiple advertisements in Condé Nast-owned Vogue’s March issue.
Boasting 648 pages of spring fashion right on the cover, Vogue’s issue touches upon each trend for the upcoming season using its high-end advertisements as support. Although it may seem overkill for a brand to be featured more than once in an issue, the repetition serves as a cognitive trigger for readers interested in the included fashions.
Repetition as well as taking a unique approach to campaigns helps a brand stand out within the ad pages.
“Brands can stand out based on the creative approach of their ads, especially the visual elements, the products being displayed and the number of ad pages,†Mr. Kurtz said. “Presenting a story or common theme throughout the ad pages of a brand can be very effective in achieving impact.â€