Ralph Lauren advertises for charity on Tumblr Radar

Nice use of the Tumblr Radar by Ralph Lauren today. The US designer has teamed up with the blogging platform to post a bold pink GIF that invites users to “join the fight against cancer”.

It appears in the right-hand box on users’ dashboards that usually highlights popular images from across the network, but was opened up to advertisers in May.

For every note (like or reblog) on that post throughout the month of October, Ralph Lauren Corporation will donate $1 to the Pink Pony Fund, part of the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation.

At time of publication, there were 12,682 notes – Ralph Lauren will donate up to a total of $25,000.

To add some context, the average Tumblr post gets nine notes; the three prior posts from Ralph Lauren have received 27, 112 and 37.

Packages for Radar advertising reportedly start at $25,000 (though it is presumed this wasn’t a paid-for deal by Ralph Lauren) and significantly boost a brand’s following. GIFs have proved the most successful image types.

To learn more about the Pink Pony Fund visit RalphLauren.com/PinkPony.

Digital snippets: Burberry, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler

Some more great stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital over the past week:

• Burberry opens digitally integrated store in London (as pictured) [Mashable]

• Marion Cotillard presents Lady Dior web documentary [Harper's Bazaar]

• Marie Claire claims UK first with Dolce & Gabbana video ad in October issue [Media Week]

• Ralph Lauren previews SS13 accessories collection on Instagram [WWD]

• Proenza Schouler’s spring collection was inspired by Tumblr [Refinery 29]

• Uniqlo promotes San Fran store with interactive experience starring YouTube cat Maru [TheInspirationRoom]

• Zappos crunches Pinterest data to suggest tailored purchase recommendations [Contagious]

• New York Fashion Week street style is often a billboard for brands [NY Times]

• These virtual models could be the future of online shopping [Business Insider]

Digital snippets: Dior, YSL, Ralph Lauren, Zara, Lyst

Some more great stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital over the past week:

 

• Backstage Dior video shows one million flowers being installed at couture show (as above) [Fashionista]

• YSL launches eyeshadow palette inspired by Facebook [Kiss and Makeup]

• Ralph Lauren organises Facebook send-off for Olympic athletes [Mashable]

• Zara to open Chinese internet store in September 2012 [China Retail News]

• Social commerce platform Lyst secures $5m funding [TheNextWeb]

• KCD and Spring form partnership for global fashion communications, will help brands navigate complex new media landscape [WWD]

• Designer uses Photoshop and textile software program to knit medical images into high fashion [The Atlantic]

#SXSW Interactive: a new must on the fashion calendar

I have just returned from the most incredible week at SXSW Interactive, where speakers varied from Al Gore and Sean Parker, to Ray Kurweil, Biz Stone and Dennis Crowley.

I’m in the midst of finishing off a piece on the key thoughts and ideas from the week – to be published elsewhere [UPDATE: if you're interested please email me for a copy].

In the meantime, I wanted to write one very short and simple blogpost that says, if you’re a fashion brand aiming to achieve anything along the lines of digital success, you need to go next year.

SXSW is the place to hear industry leaders (aforementioned and more) give expert insights; it’s the place to learn about new innovations and source fresh inspirations; and it’s the place where trends and directions for the tech world break.

But more importantly, it’s the hottest place to network with anyone and everyone also working in this space. Serendipity as Mashable calls it here. From meeting new start-ups and coordinating with established platforms, to swapping ideas with those from your own industry, it’s the perfect playing ground for getting your head both in the game and ahead of the curve.

And if that isn’t convincing enough, it speaks volumes to see which brands are already doing it. There this year were teams from Burberry, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorfs, Net-a-Porter and Moda Operandi… not to mention fashion-specific platforms including Lyst and publications from The Business of Fashion and WGSN, to Fashion’s Collective.

It was undoubtedly one of the most valuable experiences of my career to date.

I hope to see you there in 2013!

Digital snippets: Christmas 2011 special

The fashion industry has been celebrating the festive season with all manner of digital initiatives. Here’s a look at some of the things they’ve been doing:

• Ralph Lauren transforms online catalog into holiday greeting cards (as pictured) [Mashable]

• Coach launches New York-themed gift tags campaign featuring eight animated videos, e-cards and Facebook application [WWD]

• Marc Jacobs invites fans to upload their family holiday snaps with ‘MarcFam’ campaign [StyleCaster]

• Calvin Klein partners with Shazam for interactive in-store displays and unique holiday song [L2 Blog]

• Burberry sends festive cheer with interactive music videos [Burberry]

• Tiffany & Co unveils digital storybook, ‘The Winter Carousel’, to tie in with store windows [Luxury Daily]

• Macy’s extends annual Believe campaign with augmented reality app [Macy's]

• John Lewis launches window display featuring its ‘Top 30 favorite things for Christmas’, allowing shoppers to buy directly via QR codes [PSFK]

• JC Penney invites consumers to personalise their gifts with ‘Santa Tags’; QR codes that host voice recordings [JC Penney]

• Alexander Wang compiles 12 days of Christmas gift guide [Global Grind]

• Uniqlo UK offers shoppers the chance to win their Christmas wishlist [Uniqlo]

• Esprit partners with Yvan Rodic of FaceHunter as part of Make Your Wish holiday campaign [PR Newswire]

• Gap gives shoppers head start on holiday shopping with Shop Yourself Social initiative [RIS News]

Related posts:

Video: Merry Lanvin Christmas!

Love magazine unveils ‘saucy’ online advent calendar

Barney’s Gaga Workshop incorporates interactive Twitter windows

Making of: John Lewis 2011 Christmas ad

Digital snippets: Burberry, Nicola Formichetti, Ralph Lauren, StyleMint, H&M

Some more great stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital over the past week:

 

• Burberry focuses on Facebook to push new fragrance, commits over 60% of annual marketing budget to digital media [FT]

• Designers including Norma Kamali and Nicola Formichetti for Mugler turn to 3-D fashion shows [The New York Times]

• Ralph Lauren solo sponsoring NY Times iPad app for September with ads to provide only live video of fashion week show [AdAge]

• Olsen twins unveil debut StyleMint video with guest editor stylist Sara Moonves [The Cut]

• H&M launches e-commerce in US via Elle.com [WWD]

• Ralph Lauren Kids rolls out third RL Gang digital shoppable storybook [Daily Candy]

• Viral video: 100 years of East London fashion in 100 seconds for Westfield Stratford City mall opening (as above) [New Media Age]

• Facebook pulls daily deals service [Media Week]

JWT turns brands into cute virtual animations

I love this concept from JWT – the New York-based communications agency  has transformed some 3,000 brands into animated characters as a way of comparing  characteristics.

Referred to as a ‘brand visualisation tool’, Brand Toys as it’s called, includes everyone from Apple to Nokia, with all sorts of teddy bears, cartoon characters and monsters resulting.

It’s not however merely a subjective project, each toy has been created based on quantitative research, with character and personality determined by Millward Brown’s famous BrandZ study (this year led by Apple), and real-time, online buzz data by Social Mention.

Varying body shapes, for instance, depend on scores for familiarity and potential. There’s even a weather backdrop representing online sentiment.

Brands can be compared with others (see my screen grab above of a few choice fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren – not sure they’d be wholeheartedly enamoured with the designs themselves mind), as well as across the 23 countries included.

According to Brand Republic, Guy Murphy, worldwide planning director at JWT, said: “To ensure a rosy future for brands, it is crucial to consider marketing as a creative discipline. Brand Toys represents brands as consumers feel them—with personality and character, not as a series of numbers or complex mechanisms.”

For those interested in having a play, it’s also possible to customise the toys. Users can then share their creations via social media.

Ralph Lauren Romance vid stars Nacho Figueras and wife

Ralph Lauren has released a new Love Story ad for its Romance fragrance starring Polo player Nacho Figueras and his photographer wife, Delfina Blaquier.

Captured by Bruce Weber, who has directed the infamously black and white ads since the fragrance launched in 1998, the new spot is also in colour for the first time.

It was shot on location at Delfina’s family estate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and sees the couple riding horses, dancing in the grounds, exploring the house and enjoying time with their three children.

Ralph Lauren fragrance ad stars Fashion Toast blogger

Ralph Lauren has released a short film starring Fashion Toast blogger Rumi Neely alongside her photographer boyfriend Colin Sokol to promote the Seductive #2 fragrance from the brand’s Big Pony collection.

Titled “Laws of seduction”, the ad was shot at the Soho Grand hotel in New York. It sees Neely playing a fugitive, with Sokol as the detective chasing after her. He plots to seduce her but instead opts to snap a set of handcuffs on her wrists instead.

The film is shot in black and white throughout, with soft touches of red seen in the likes of the fragrance bottle, a glass of wine and a bouquet of flowers.

It was written and directed by Seth Hagenstein.

Neely has previously modelled for Forever 21, Free People and Rebecca Minkoff.

The RL Gang – cute and clever

Ralph Lauren Childrenswear’s shoppable online storybook is not only adorable, but it ticks the boxes for winning ideas in digital retail at present.

Interactive, check. Entertaining, check. Integrated with commerce, check.

The RL Gang: A Magically Magnificent School Adventure, as it’s called, provides users with the ability to both interact with the content through exploration, and shop directly from it, all the while bundled up with a creative narrative from award-winning actress Uma Thurman.

The second in its series, it showcases 17 new looks from the brand’s spring/summer 2011 collection. Each character featured can then be clicked on, leading through to a “virtual closet” of similar looks for discovery.

“Click to purchase” capabilities then allow consumers to purchase pieces directly from Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdales and The Bay websites.

David Lauren, executive vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications, said the aim was to be engaging, informative and entertaining.

“The experience was really [conceived] as a shoppable story book, but we didn’t want them to just shop by template. Beyond being able to shop the video while the story is going on, you can also go into the closet of any character,” he said.

“I love the concept of the gang. I love the friendship and spirit, the diversity of the clothing, the eclecticness of Ralph Lauren style. It shows that boys and girls can dress up or down, they can be sporty or elegant.”

The initiative follows in the footsteps of the brand’s other digital launches including its 4D sensory experience last November. Read more here: The ultimate collision