Fashion designers and labels must be getting sick of big time models. Either that or they're realizing the marketing power that radiates from real people. It is becoming obvious that for the coming seasons, to be cast in ads and in runways, the more "real," the better.
Costume National is the latest label to cast fresh personalities for its Autumn/Winter 2008-09 ad campaigns. The label's creative director, Ennio Capasa, tapped the MySpace community to recruit diverse faces to promote his designs.
According to Capasa, "Social networking is one of the most interesting phenomena today on the internet. It represents the great change and dynamism of a society that is increasingly a compulsive consumer of communication and contacts."
Twelve dynamic individuals were photographed by Stefan Ruiz in Long Island city, Queens. The ads are set to be released in September.
Here is some more recruitment happening via the web:
Recruiting Models from MySpace
Costume National Hires From Web
Trend Themes
1. Real People Marketing - Fashion labels are shifting towards casting real people for ad campaigns and runways, recognizing the marketing power they offer.
2. Social Networking Recruitment - Fashion designers are leveraging the power of social networking platforms like MySpace to find fresh faces for their campaigns.
3. Consumer-directed Communication - The use of social networking for recruitment reflects the changing dynamics of consumer communication and the increasing importance of online interactions.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Fashion labels are embracing disruptive innovation by casting real people and utilizing social media platforms for recruitment, changing the dynamics of the industry.
2. Advertising - The shift towards using real people in ad campaigns presents disruptive innovation opportunities for advertising agencies to create more authentic and relatable content.
3. Social Networking - Social networking platforms like MySpace can explore partnerships with fashion labels and become a go-to platform for recruitment, leveraging their large user bases and reach.