Let’s go girls (and boys ?), this year is gonna be a good year ! I know media are still talking about economic crisis and its bad impact on our purses. But in fact, it means sales should be on our side: shops have so much stocks! They really need us to help them get rid of it !

That’s why I wanted to show you something funny for your sales. The 2010 « Soldes by Paris » operation has began ! Every year since 2007, the city of Paris and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry re-edit this event. And they manage to mobilize a huge number of shops. This month, around 3.000 shops and 300 tourism professionnals are expected to participate.  
The concept is: during the month of January, customers can have access to reduced rates in hotels, restaurants, cultural sites and even transports. This year, the ambassador of the operation is Jean-Claude Jitrois, artistic director of the Jitrois house, a shop specialized in luxe ready-to-wear.  

Of course, to inform people organizers have used press, but the best is on the web ! The event is actually relayed on the website shoppingbyparis.com, where M. Jitrois has compiled his good deals in a shoppingbook and through videos. All opportunities of sales are studied and classified in this guide, in order to give creative suggestions to each fahion style… It is supposed to help shopping addicted in organizing their « fashion journey » !

I went on the website to have look at this… Fans of shopping are listed in five styles. If you are one of them, you might be a « Creative » one, a « Bobo chic » one, a « Trendy » one, a « Fusion Fashion World » one or a « Classic » one ! You can also watch examples of ways to follow throughout Paris and spend a nice shopping time, get original ideas of places to go, restaurants to test, etc. 

I have to say that I'm not really attracted by this shopping book. I don't like to plan my shopping journeys and prefer not to know what I’m going to find. Even if it takes time, or leads to an empty bag at the end of the day! Moreover, I do believe that M. Jitrois has a large preference for expensives brands, which is not in my budget that much…

But I really consider this initiative as a smart one and I’m sure this is gonna help numbers of crazy shoppers !

J.B 

Looking for the lattest PR novelty, I stumbling upon The Cube from Nissan. That is the new city car, coming out in January 2010, for young people eager for exotic culture. To enhance its design and technology, the Japonese brand has decided to make a hype and underground launch with a dedicated hearty store, hidden in the 10th arrondissement in Paris.

  

White shelves, minimalism art or welcoming security
guards, everything has connection with the car design in general and its windows glasses lines in particular.

Only Japanese fashion and design items, carefully chosen by the incontrovertible Colette, are displayed and ready to be sold. In addition to Paris, Berlin and Londres have each their own Cub store too. 

 

At night, the Cube Store by night wakes up. A selective programming of artists from music, fashion or design ask themself the relationship between creation and technology in a play way. Thus, mini lives, entertainments or projections such as Joyriding from Platform 21, can be enjoyed twice or three times a week.

 
 

A.A. 

As you could notice since this last years, brands multiply strategies to expand and/or to maintain their image. All resources are used and supports broaden. But this is sometimes not enought and especially in the fashion world where the competition get harder. Some brands do not hesitate to appeal more creativity in the support or in the place, instead of in a standard advertised page.

Thus, brands are out of traditional devices or turn away from them to create events and the buzz.

Let me show you some incontrovertible exemples.

Wrangler displayed 60 plastic models, dressed with the new collection to the Versailles door.

 

 

The fashion designer Céline Jendly chosen to introduce her new collection in the street.  An extensive stage, electro-sound, the beautiful and mythic well-known Montparnasse district from paris were in. The goal ? To translate free and eccentric spirit of the collection.

 

 

That is just WONDERFUL !

But maybe there are some other creatives among you ?

Go go go …

A.A.