Week Two EOC: Exercise

Trace the history of the fashion brand Burberry.  Examine its ads today and those from past campaigns.  What are the differences?  Has the target market changed?  Did this fashion company follow its target market clients as they aged? Back up you research with clear examples.  When Burberry first opened it was in the late 1800’s.  They started out as an outdoor clothing company.  They really stated when they were contracted for the WW1.  They made all the attire for the war and all the fighters from the UK.  Their concepts today are completely different.  They are one of the world’s biggest fashion leaders.  Yes they still make out door good, but they are huge into bags, shoes and suits for men.  They are known as making amazing leather goods.  They still sell outdoor clothing, but nowhere near as much as they used to.  The target market has changed a lot.  From older men to wearing rain coats to young women now wearing their bathing suits.  Burberry has gone to a market where they think they can make more money and they are doing a great job with it. 

Week Two EOC: Discussion Questions

1.       How has fashion advertising changed since the mid-twentieth century?  What are some of the differences between ads that appeared before the 1950’s 1960’s, and today?  The first thing that comes to mind is I think that there is a lot more sex in ads today.  I think that there is a lot more skin that we put in ads today to sell the product.   The main examples that I can always think about is when you have an amazing gouges women almost naked and selling men’s cologne.  Us as humans today know what we like and we know what it will take for use to buy it.   

2.       What are some of the theories related to fashion branding?  What do they say about fashion barding as a means of communicating with consumers?  How do the contemporary ide4as of Hamilton, DeBord, Agins, Gobe, and McCraken relate to those of Barthes and Baudrillared?  Like I said in the answer before the main ideas that I can see related to fashion branding as to be about sex.  McCracken’s says “the need for brands to be studied from a meaning based model instead of the traditional information based model because of theoretical insufficiencies.”  I think they all know what works for consumers they just look at is differently.

3.       What types of meaning does Grant McCrachen associate with fashion products?  Do you agree or disagree?  If you disagree, what would you add to or delete from his list?  Give an example of one of the meanings.  McCrachen says, “That through social interaction, individuals assign status to fashion branded garments as well as types of consumer goods.” I think that he is spot on with this.  I totally think that you have to have social interaction to sell anything.  This is the best way to sell things because everyone will see it and everyone will want to buy what they see.

Week One EOC: Exercise

Find a fashion advertisement.  Identify any historical, social, or cultural icons in the ad and share the story the ad is trying to tell the viewers.  How does this ad make the consumer want to purchase the product?  The first ad that came to mind was a Tiger Woods Nike AD.  The reason that I thought of that first was because he is one of the biggest icons in the world today.  Almost no matter where you are in the world you totally know who he is and what he can do.  The ad that I found is just a shadow of him and all if says is Just Do It.  Nike three letter word that is gold!  You take the highest paid and probably best athlete of all times and all you have to say is Just Do It.  Everyone will know exactly what the ad is about.  There is nothing to this ad you really can’t even see who it is, but you know its Tiger.  Just by the way his nose is and the way he wears his hat it has to be him. 

Week One EOC: Discussion Questions

1.        What is fashion branding?  How does barding establish a product’s identity?  Fashion branding is when you have a company or a product from a company that everyone knows what it is.  A perfect example is Coco Chanel and what she has done for her brand.  Like we talked in class today even though she has been gone the brand is very still alive with us today.  Branding like Chanel makes their own identity because there is nothing else like this brand.   

2.        How are companies able to sell item like T-shirts, jeans, and sunglasses at high prices?  Can you give an example of another item sold in the luxury market that might not have been traditionally perceived as a luxury good?  The reason that companies are able to sell some of these things at such a high price is because there are people that love the product that they are buying.  The first example that I can think of a luxury market is graphic T-Shirts.  I have seen them go for over $100 and that is absolute crazy.

3.        Race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation play a part in purchasing decision.  Identify three consumer groups that are different from you.  In your opinion, do they differ from each other with regard to fashions and the types of brand they purchase?  Why or why not?  I think that these things are all very different.  I think that all these things can have a huge impact on the selling and what someone is going to buy.  It all depends on how you are raised and how you grew up.  I think that sexual orientation is one of the biggest things that makes a decision on buying.    

Week One BOC: My Voice

I am in the field of fashion retail management. The reason that I have chose this field is because, if you think about it this is a field that is always going to be around. We are always going to need cloths. From when I was a little kid I have always liked to go to church because I knew that I was able to wear my suit that day. I was never a kid that did not like to dress up or did not like to go shopping. There is just something about putting on great clothing and the way that it makes you feel. Some of the best artist of my time are people that design cloths today for example Valetino, Karla Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. The one main reason that I love working in the retail industry is because it is never the same. You always run into something different everyday because every person’s style is different, I am her to help them find it. I currently work in my industry, at Oakley. I go from selling shirts and pants to selling sunglasses. After working for Oakley for a year I have totally come to realize that it does not matter where I work at or what I sell, I just love selling a product and making the customer happy when they leave my store.

Week One BOC: Slip,Slap,Slop





  Slip, slap slop is a campaign that takes place in Australia against skin cancer.  Australia is Leading County of deaths in skin cancer.  The way that they want people to use sun screen is a much different way than the rest of the world.  They go about it in a very fun way, like us her in America just kind of say use it or die.  “Ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels in Australia are higher than in Europe, even during summer. Being located close to the ozone hole over the Antarctic means much higher, more severe levels of UV radiation get through to ground level.”  http://www.theozonehole.com/australianskincancer.htm.  Since they are so close to the sun the summer months are absolute crazy.  There are laws in Australia that make you use only certain kinds of sun glasses too.  You can’t just buy anything of the self you have to use UVA and UVB protection at all times. “As summer approaches in Australia and the Victorian SunSmart media campaign kicks into gear to celebrate 30 years of SunSmart, there are many who are yet to heed the warning messages.”  http://www.clinuvel.com/en/blog/lightandhealth/three-decades-of-slip-slop-slap-but-teens-still-want-tans/.  Sun Smart just re did the messege to make it look more now a day’s hoping that more people see it and like it and start to understand it.  “The American Cancer Society suggests following a simple slogan of Slip, Slop, Slap when spending time in the sun. First, slip on a shirt. Wearing a long sleeve shirt is best, but a short sleeve shirt will also assist in protection. Remember to apply sunscreen under the shirt because rays can still penetrate.” http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhrota/InTheNews/Pages/Slip,Slop,Slap,ForSunSafety.aspx.  After reading this last bit I really hope that the rest of the world can get on board cause this is no reason to die if there are ways to prevent it.