Age of Aquarius

Velvet, Velvet, Velvet... I'm trying to think of some inter sting/ unique/ hip things to do for Velvet sunglasses. So far for other products that Velvet could manufacture I have thought of purses, swim suits, sunscreen, pretty wallets/id cases, nail polish, jewelry, phone/ i pod cases and innovative hair accessories. If the target market is right then I think the hair accessories could be a huge hit if they are a new idea. I know when I was in middle school I loved to wear the butterflies with the flaping wings, and the little flower hair clips. Also the V is kinda cool for something to hold up a French twist. Wet Seal is adding cosmetics to their line. That is really cool. They also hired a marketing expert with insight into the teen view of music, movies and celebrities. Also I think something really slick would be to have Velvet shades appear in a fashion magazine like Seventeen or YM in one of those cheap but trendy where to shop pages.

We are also supposed to be looking at other campaigns that we think have either succeeded or failed. Apparently this guy Foster Grant was a pretty big deal in the 1960s. He focused his advertising campaigns on the fashion aspect of sunglasses.

Hoven sunglasses target young men athletes in sports like snowboarding and motorcross. They have focused on grassroots marketing campaigns.

I guess Oakley is getting in on the game by appealing to the women's market for sunglasses. In the article "Oakley Shades for Her Eyes Only" there are quite a few interesting tidbits about the current market and where women feel they are in that market.

This shop called Vanity has been reaching their consumers via text messages. I have never heard of this store, but Im guessing its similar to a Forever 21/ Wet Seal type of deal.

This article tells about the creation of the Roxy brand and how it is changing with its customers.

Something else cool I found today was a graffiti artist who paints the inside of sunglasses rims. A personal touch for Recon.

This website called Karma Loop might have some interesting updates on fashion that I haven't previously thought about.

One more thing, Victoria's Secret has a Myspace page. What is this business? Why is everyone on a myspace craze? Velvet should have a myspace page. Also I think for in-store advertising to be effective Velvet would need its own special section, forget putting it in with the rest of the glasses, they will just get lost. The glasses and other accessories need their own designated and special area. Also extra touches like custom made tissue paper, and packaging sealed with a logo sticker might be cute. Im not sure if it would be possible though in a CVS.

Ending thoughts... Since Velvet has stopped focusing on the technology aspect of its glasses I think the focus of the campaign will have to be directed more toward the fashion aspect. Personally I love shopping at places like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and Wet Seal. They are cheap-chic and way cute clothes and accessories. So Im feeling like we are going to have to break into that market in some way. I think that Velvet could have a good run if it focused specifically on accessories/ make-up. Also this comparison of H&M to Forever 21 might be helpful for something in the future. Possibly we could do a website and I could do a video similar to the one for Urban Outfitters that I mentioned in my last post.