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Part 6 / Fashion Promotion
sees the fashions, 23-30. They are presented to
gain publicity.
Media space can be purchased for
advertisements. Newspaper ads are effective
for fashion shows because they reach local
audiences at a reasonable cost. The ads may
be created by promotion committee members
or by the newspaper advertising department as
a helpful service. The fashion show advertising
coordinator might submit rough sketches of a
layout to the newspaper art department, which
then produces a draft of a print advertisement,
called a pasteup. This is returned to fashion
show personnel for review, changes, and/or
approval. When the fi nalized ad has run in the
paper, the newspaper sends a tear sheet, which
is the advertisement torn directly from the paper.
This shows proof of publication and can be saved
for evaluation of the show.
Radio commercials can be effective if the
station’s audience is matched with the fashion
show’s target audience. Some local magazine
and TV spot ads might be placed by a retailer if
they are not too expensive. However, production
of these ads costs more and must be done
farther in advance. A professional advertising
agency may be needed to produce quality ads.
Other fashion show promotion can be done
with signs or posters in high traffi c areas or by
mailing out fl yers and/or invitations. Membership
and customer lists provide effective targeted
promotion, but postage expenses add up fast.
E-mail invitations can be sent free. Additionally,
retailers should inform all salespeople far in
advance of the show so they can promote
the event to their customers. A school or civic
group should pass information to all members,
encouraging them to tell others who may wish to
attend the show.
Invitations, Tickets, and
Programs
The promotion committee also handles the
design and printing of invitations, tickets, and
programs. Depending on the type of show, tickets
are either sold or distributed free. If they are free,
many extra tickets should be printed, since only
a certain number of those who receive them will
attend the show. The response rate is higher for
specialized shows, such as for bridal attire. Better
attendance also occurs if tickets must be picked
up at a certain location, such as at a retailer’s
customer service desk.
The program serves as a guide to the
merchandise for the audience. Its cover design
and composition should follow the theme of the
show. It lists the outfi ts in order of appearance,
with a brief description, so attendees can keep
track of items they may want to consider buying.
Programs also acknowledge the designers,
manufacturers, retailers, and staff members
that have helped to make the show possible.
This combines thank-yous with publicity, and
adds credibility to the group sponsoring the
show. Sometimes advertising is sold and placed
in programs, to raise additional money for a
charitable cause.
Rehearsals and Show
Time!
Most fashion shows cannot run smoothly
without rehearsals. Rehearsals are practice
In Cooperation with the Fashion Association
23-30 Journalists attend press shows to
gather information from written sheets
that are distributed and to take pictures.
The information is used for newspaper
and magazine articles and for radio and
television segments of fashion news.