Elle McPherson versus Gabrielle Reece modeling swimwear. Heidi Klum or Venus Williams in a tennis dress. Choosing Ford models over real cyclists in the Terry catalog presented the same conundrum: whether women respond better and are more likely to buy products shown on real bodies or "hangers". As a pioneering women's sports brand, we were committed to the authenticity that real riders provided in our communications to customers. We also didn't have the $300 per hour that a catalog model would cost. But as our our apparel business grew, we became more focused on improving product presentation and increasing our revenue. Three things became evident: 1) clothing shot on a body outperformed clothing that wasn't; 2) clothing shot on professional models outperformed the items that were shot on non-models; 3) plus size buyers were more likely to buy clothing shown on regular models, not plus size models.
Were it that simple...
When we showed "real" riders of all shapes sizes and ages, we got love letters from customers, from women's groups, from nutritionists, from our friends.
I wanted to applaud Terry Bicycles for using “real” models in your catalog. It seems to be a growing trend, but one fashioned, from what I can tell, by Terry. It truly allows the consumer to relate to the product on so many levels. Many catalogs introduce their line using models who are so unrealistic in every sense that it is nearly impossible to get the consumer to bridge the distance.
When we used models and elevated cycling wear to fashion, our sales increased by double digits but the letters definitely took a turn for the worse:
I would like to share with you just how disgusted I am with your mail-order catalog. It’s full of stick-thin (and very un-athletic-looking) super-model types with seductive porn eyes that really belong in Victoria’s Secret or some X-rated girly magazine. They look like they couldn’t walk very far, much less ride a bicycle. Maybe this is what you need to stoop to in order to maintain sales, but you can count me out of your market. I used to like doing business with you when you actually featured real women who were committed to bicycling in their real lives, heaven forbid women that were over the age of 22. Imagine! We actually exist out there and enjoy an athletic lifestyle that we value far more highly than (gasp!) the possibility of looking like porn queens in flashy bike-wear. You and our culture, which obviously rewards you for this, are an insult to us.
Ouch.
A look at some other catalogs, marketers and magazines shows that using real people in the presentation of product to women can be used to advantage. Title 9 makes a big deal of integrating everyday athletes into their catalog with a reinforcing caption. No company is more committed to real people than Dove, with its Campaign for Real Beauty, launched in 2004. With tons of press, advertising awards and cudos from women's groups around the world, it has blossomed from a marketing execution to a cultural movement aiming for improved self esteem for girls/women.
Does all that realness translate to the bottom line? Initially, it brought double-digit sales growth though largely from new product introductions and an extraordinary amount of publicity and promotion. Sales began to stagnate in 2007 and really flattened out with the introduction of an offshoot "ProAge" campaign that celebrated women in all their wrinkled glory. Expectations were high, given Annie Leibovitz as photographer, a booming new product category and millions of media dollars behind it.
Reality seems a given for sports editorial content–or is it. I asked a Bicycling magazine editor about the use of models vs real riders and she replied, "why not both?" As the go-to guide for cyclists, the magazine has to be authentic and believable, but they also have newsstand sales to consider. I love this comment and empathize completely:
"What’s really interesting (and aggravating) to me is how often readers will assume that if a female cover model is good looking, then she’s not really a rider. This seems to be less of an issue with the male models."
So the reality is that nearly everybody uses models. I was shocked the first time we went on location to Miami during the March catalog shoot season. All the models, hair/makeup and photographers head there for work during the winter. Huge productions from JC Penney to discounters like TJ Max book weeks at a time with racks and racks of clothing, labeled by the day. They do it because it's efficient, the weather is predictable and, it obviously sells product. The beauty of an actual professional model is that she works fast and knows how to move so you can maximize the day's shoot. She also looks good in sample sizes and won't ask what to do with her hands. All the shots are typically usable, and she'll mix it up so you have a range to work with.
When it comes to the muddled world of fashletics, casting for sports models seems a viable solution. There is, in fact, a west coast agency that represents athlete/models and we've used it. These buff glamazons are ones you also see in Athleta, Title 9, NikeWomen, Lucy and Activa. They tend to be college athletes supplementing their educations with modeling gigs so unfortunately, they're not always good "movers" which translates into more time and stiffness. They're also more muscular which on the surface, seems good but can appear a bit too hard. But give them a soccer ball or a bike and they know what to do with it. Do they sell as much product as a fashion model? No, but it's close and certainly a case can be made for adding to brand credibility.
It's just too bad there aren't more of them, and more of them who ride.
Photos:
1) Terry Summer Catalog, on location in Miami
2) Valley Girls Montana racing team
3) Delana in studio, Ron Wu Photo
4) Dove Real Beauty campaign photo
5) Bicycling Magazine, April 2010
6) Model promo, Sports Models Unimited
Further:
In Its Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove Tells Women That They Are Beautiful as They Are. But the Push Is Showing Signs of Aging September 24, 2007 http://adage.com/article?article_id=120640
Our most fashion forward photo shoot, best selling season, my personal favorite:
http://www.ronwuphoto.com/terry2008preview/
