About ten years ago the top fashion and women’s interest magazines started phasing in established celebrities as their cover girls, in effect shutting out the modeling industry. This may have contributed to the “death” of the supermodel (compared to the 1990s, significantly fewer models are presently household names) and may have helped to fuel the rampant celebrity worship and wild tabloid industry.
Taking the trend a bizarre step further, now some companies are not only using non-model celebs to sell goods – they’re using non-humans! And we’re not talking about that Keith-Richards-for-Louis-Vuitton ad…
Collaborations are nothing new in the fashion world: Target and H&M have been the biggest trendsetters for moderate retail prices for designer items. Between them, they’ve brought Luella, Cavalli, Lagerfeld, Proenza Schouler, and other visionaries to the mall masses. And beyond that, designers work with other designers, artists, even musicians.
So it makes sense for creative types to work with other creative types, right? Well, these new pairings are like nothing we ever expected! We’re not even halfway into 2008, and already we’ve spotted three cartoon campaigns: Kermit the Frog for Supreme, Kool-Aid for Reebok, and a Kellogg’s urban wear line.
Kool-Aid Man is still on the back of every bus in Brooklyn a month after Reebok launched its Instant Classic line: your favorite sneaker flavors in the Pro Legacy style. The shoes are not only cherry- and grape-colored, but also scented! Reebok released the full line of five shoe flavors March 15, with matching T-shirts, hoodies, and caps.
Andy Wass’ Blog is at: www.avant-garb.net.
