The £79.99 service includes a stylist to help select an outfit, and a professional makeover.
The £79.99 service includes a stylist to help select an outfit, and a professional makeover.
What do you give the man who has everything… Yourself!
Mernie Gilmore road-tests the latest Christmas present idea – a gift wrapped you Memories of last year’s Christmas shopping are still etched on my mind.
A desperate December dash around Oxford Street, credit card meltdown and nerves equally frayed, left me determined that this year would be different. No more last minute present. No sir- this year’s yuletise would be all about organisation and forward planning.
Of course, 11 months on and I find myself in the same situation as last – it’s nearly December and the number of gifts that I have bought so far currently stands at zero.
So imagine my joy when I heard about a new service provided by the fashion chain New Look. Forget searching around for the perfect gift for your partner – why not give yourself for Christmas instead? For £80 you get to hightail it to your nearest participating store where you are greeted by a stylist who helps you shop.
You are then dressed in a new outfit worth up to £50 (which in New look is more than possible) and given a glamorous makeover before being shipped off in a large gift-wrapped box to your beloved’s doorstep.
The moment your partner answers the door and rips open the paper you can shout ‘Surprise!’ (or whatever you want to shout, really) and there you have it: the perfect Christmas present. After all what’s not to like? It’s you, gift-wrapped. OK, it might not be one of those flashy ipods that you can watch videos on but it’s got the personal touch.
So last week, I went to New Look’s London flagship store where I was met by stylist Arieta Mujay. She grabbed a trolley and started pulling things off the shelves. Trailing in her wake she asked me what I like to wear. “Er, wrap dresses,” I answered as I looked nervously at what was being selected. To be honest, I’m not much of a shopper.
But Arieta’s enthusiasm for the task was infectious and before I knew what had happened I was standing in the changing rooms surrounded by great piles of clothes and shoes. In the end there was one dress that was perfect. It was one of my stock favourites, a wrap dress, but when teamed with a lovely necklace and some killer heels it was a successful outfit.
Next, on to the delivery. There were, I could see, some logistical problems. Firstly my boyfriend lives in what would be described as a slightly edgy area of London/ The idea of being deposited in a gift-wrapped box on his doorstep didn’t appeal – left long enough there’s a chance I’d get nicked.
And what would happen if he wasn’t in? It would be a terrible shame to be glammed up and then left in the rain with my gift wrapped gradually disintegrating. Rest assured, say New Look. That would never happen. They contact your partner beforehand to arrange a time for a mystery delivery. And when you are put on the doorstep, you are accompanied by two delivery men, who make sure that you are successfully opened by your lover before they get back into their van and drive off on their next assignment. In the end, I decided to cheat slightly. I lulled my long-suffering boyfriend to our office under false pretensions (something about finishing work late and then going out for dinner).
Getting back into the box was a bit of a palaver – crouching down on four inch heels so that the box can be placed on top of you is no mean feat. And managing to stand up again without toppling forward was a miracle. The moment he saw the box he became suspicious. After all, the fact that there is a life-sized box is a bit of a giveaway in itself.
Thankfully the whole went swimmingly. My boyfriend was surprised, I didn’t fall over and I got a nice dress in the bargain. “I suppose my first reaction was to think, ‘Wow, look at the size of the box,’” he told me when I grilled him afterwards. “I’m reasonably tall but it even towered over me. And it is a bit strange seeing your girlfriend in a box.
Obviously it was fun to tear off the packaging but it didn’t help matters that you were giggling inside and telling me to get on with it. That said, you looked stunning so I tried not to waste too much time.” OK, so I paid him to say the last bit, but all in all I would deem the experience a great success.
Bring on next Christmas, where to top this year, I intend to be fired from a cannon straight into my boyfriend’s workplace as a festive surprise. I’m sure he’ll love that. Give Yourself for Christmas from New Look, is available only in London. There are plans to roll it out nationwide next year. For details, call 020 7324 7200.
“We wanted to ensure all the company’s workers felt informed and part of the marketing strategy,” explains Odd’s Simon Glover.
“We wanted to ensure all the company’s workers felt informed and part of the marketing strategy,” explains Odd’s Simon Glover.
A small cardboard box was sent to each employee’s home address that perfectly apes the flatpack boxes much of Ikea’s goods are packaged in, complete with unpronounceable range name LYLLYH – an acronym for the new strapline. Inside is house information pertaining to the new campaign and a white tea-towel with the strapline printed on it.
From ODD’s humorously self-centered Christmas press and window campaign for high street fashion chain, New Look.
Creative Directors: Nick Stickland and Simon Glover
Art Director: Patrick Duffy.
Producer: Chad Jackson.
Photographer: Ewan Spencer
Topshop and New Look have both launched quirky customer service add-ons as they strive for the edge in the fast fashion market.
Topshop customers experiencing a fashion crisis, such as a broken heel or an unexpected date, can text their woes to the retailer’s Express service. A company branded Vespa will scoot the goods to their home or office that day. A Topshop spokeswoman said the quickets turnaround to date was getting a top to a concert goer in crisis in only 20 minutes.
Express is only available from Topshop’s Oxford Circus flagship. However, the store is often used as a testbed for the Arcadia owned chain’s services.
New Look is offering a delivery service of a more playful kind with its Give Yourself for Christmas gift service. Customers stuck for an idea receive an instore makeover with a stylist and are delivered in a Barbie-style box to the home or workplace of their partner. The £79.99 service is available at its Marble Arch flagship, Bluewater and Metro Gateshead store.
New Look has signed a joint venture with Turkish garment supplier Global Textiles to further minimise garment lead time from design concept to store.
Odd has designed a series of posters to promote The Science of Aliens exhibition which opens at the Science Museum in London on 15 October.
New Look is introducing technology to show shoppers how they look in its clothes before they enter the store. ‘Ultimate Window Shopping’ uses a camera to superimpose people’s faces on to mannequins. The service is being used in its flagship stores in Oxford Street, Bluewater and the Newcastle Metro Centre.
Fancy your chances as a model? It could happen/ New Look, as part of its Ultimate Window Shopping promotion, is photographing the faces of willing customers to appear, in rotation, on window mannequins in its three flagship shops (Oxford Street West, Bluewater and Newcastle Metro Centre) until October 23.
You might have thought you were dreaming today when you walked past Nell McAndrew and a hoard of people on the street wearing just underwear, but it was real and all part of a fashion challenge for New Look’s brand campaign launch.
Men and Women were invited to queue outside of the New Look store in Marble Arch, dressed only in their underwear to show how far they would go for their love of fashion and for the chance to win a share of thousands of pounds of clothes, as part of a PR campaign developed by Splendid Communications.
The crowd braved the nippy morning weather to get their place in the queue from 6.30am for the opening at 8am.
The first 20 people received a £100 voucher and a session with a New Look stylist, the next 100 people received a £50 voucher and the following 100 people a £25 voucher.
New Look said that some people did not even bother putting their clothes back on when they got in the store to spend their vouchers.
The ‘New Look, The New Now” campaign is aiming to highlight the seasons latest fashions with affordable clothing. The £3m ad campaign has been created by communications agency Naked and design and advertising agency Odd.
DM specialist Baber Smith has created the CM programme and John Ayling Associates is responsible for media buying.
British Design 2005 is the second edition of BIS Publishers showcase of creative studios and consultancies in Britain - a veritable whos who of UK design. The works of many newly successful and upcoming firms are presented here for the first time, together with the work of established firms that some how always manage to stay at the cutting edge.
This book reflects the changes that have taken effect in the design industry over the last two years and emphasizes the imperative that designers (and clients) must differentiate through creativity. British Design 2005 provides an instant impression of each participating studios creative output and offers instant inspiration for those who must provide creative input.
Currently, New Look has a range fro babies aged up to 15 months old, but is now developing a range for newborns to nine-month old babies, says Hash Ladha, marketing director at New Look.
New Look is currently looking to broaden its sub-ranges and is considering maternity, homewares and a revised baby collection as possible areas to develop.
Currently, New Look has a range fro babies aged up to 15 months old, but is now developing a range for newborns to nine-month old babies, says Hash Ladha, marketing director at New Look.
It is also trialling childrenswear in five stores and has started the development of ranges for petite and tall figures. The identities for the sub-brands will be developed and managed by New Look’s in-house design team.
The move comes as New Look rolls out its ‘New Now’ campaign. Odd and Naked were appointed to the project in January after winning a joint pitch. The campaign will include many design-led features. Areas and fixtures within stores will be set up to showcase the latest ‘of the moment’ trends, for example.
New Look is also planning to host a series of funfair events in specially decorated winnebagos located at various festivals, such as Party in the Park and V Festival.
‘It will be a really exceptional space, spliced with humour, where fashion meets fun.’ Says Nick Stickland, founding partner at Odd. The campaign will continue to roll out throughout the year across a broad media mix, including print and outdoor posters. A digital media consultancy has yet to be appointed to the project.
New Look is to launch a £3m television advertising and marketing campaign as the high-street fashion retailer attempts to translate its high awareness into a strong brand.
The £3m campaign has been created by communications agency Naked and design and advertising agency Odd to go live in September, with ads focused on "topicality and flexible media".
The campaign reflects the retail outlet's claim that it can get its clothes on to the high street within six weeks of trade buying. This is included in the ads, which will be developed just two to three weeks before the latest fashions hit the stores so the creative is able to reflect any social trends.
Nine months ago New Look, the UK's third largest womenswear retailer, carried out a strategic review with Circus to work on the company's recruitment, customer service, store environment, buying and marketing strategy.
Hash Ladha, marketing director for New Look, said: "We were surprised about the high awareness of the store but there was a difficulty in the consumer explaining it."
The camaign, which launches in September, is targeting consumers with "The New Now", its first multimedia national brand campaign which aims to satisfy women's needs for "disposable trends" at an affordable price.
"Fashion is often very serious when really it's about a leisure activity, so why not communicate with the consumer in a fun way. The campaign shows how New Look can focus on social trends as well as fashion," Ladha said.
The campaign will begin in the summer with: a tour of a travelling funfair to hit music festivals including the V Festival; a fully customised Winnebago; and "The New Now" logo to appear in all stores from September as an instore zone showcasing the latest trends.
The campaign will then roll out with press ads in lifestyle magazines, outdoor posters, radio and TV.
Nick Stickland, founding partner at Odd, said: "New Look has provided Odd with the perfect opportunity for creative thinking. The broad spectrum of work we've created will work brilliantly at a retail level, not just above the line."
Splendid Communications has been appointed to lead the PR strategy, DM specialist Baber Smith to create the CRM programme and John Ayling Associates responsible for media buying.
Three digital agencies are currently involved in a pitch to be appointed to work on the online campaign.
Odd has designed plush invites to promote a series of exclusive, lavish, parties, to be held by Bacardi in locations around the world.
New Look is to overhaul its fledgling menswear offering to boost sales and establish a point of difference from its core womenswear business.
The high-street fashion chain has redesigned its store in London’s WoodGreen and is expected to roll out the format across the other 35 stores in which it has menswear departments in the next few months.
A high-profile campaign to bolster the menswear focus is also planned. This is likely to form part of its ‘New Now’ activity, created by ad agency Odd and media strategists Naked.
The store overhaul, which covers the interior and visual merchandising, has been developed by design agency FIRST. It is intended to encourage consumers to view the clothing as a menswear brand in its own right, in isolation from the retailer’s core womenswear offering.
New Look will back the menswear range with ongoing investment in marketing over the next six months.
“The New Now”, the chain’s first national ad campaign, focuses on its ability to roll out up-to-date clothing ranges to stores every six weeks. Activity will run across press, posters and TV.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, New Look marketing director Hash Ladha said there would be also be a continued emphasis on opening bigger stores.
New Look goes for fast fashion
New Look, the high-street womenswear retailer, is to launch a clothing range every six weeks backed by an advertising campaign.
The New Now initiative will have a dedicated area in stores. The strategy is intended to help New Look keep up with the latest trends.
The advertising, the retailer’s first brand campaign, has been developed by media strategists Naked and ad agency Odd. Ads will run across print, TV and in-store.
The ads will be preceded by a New Look roadshow at summer festivals.
"Fashion is often very serious when really it's about a leisure activity, so why not communicate with the consumer in a fun way. The campaign shows how New Look can focus on social trends as well as fashion," Ladha said.
The campaign reflects the retail outlet's claim that it can get its clothes on to the high street within six weeks of trade buying. This is included in the ads, which will be developed just two to three weeks before the latest fashions hit the stores so the creative is able to reflect any social trends.
Nine months ago New Look, the UK's third largest womenswear retailer, carried out a strategic review with Circus to work on the company's recruitment, customer service, store environment, buying and marketing strategy.
Hash Ladha, marketing director for New Look, said: "We were surprised about the high awareness of the store but there was a difficulty in the consumer explaining it." The camaign, which launches in September, is targeting consumers with "The New Now", its first multimedia national brand campaign which aims to satisfy women's needs for "disposable trends" at an affordable price.
"Fashion is often very serious when really it's about a leisure activity, so why not communicate with the consumer in a fun way. The campaign shows how New Look can focus on social trends as well as fashion," Ladha said.
The campaign will begin in the summer with: a tour of a travelling funfair to hit music festivals including the V Festival; a fully customised Winnebago; and "The New Now" logo to appear in all stores from September as an instore zone showcasing the latest trends.
The campaign will then roll out with press ads in lifestyle magazines, outdoor posters, radio and TV.
Nick Stickland, founding partner at Odd, said: "New Look has provided Odd with the perfect opportunity for creative thinking. The broad spectrum of work we've created will work brilliantly at a retail level, not just above the line."
Splendid Communications has been appointed to lead the PR strategy, DM specialist Baber Smith to create the CRM programme and John Ayling Associates responsible for media buying. Three digital agencies are currently involved in a pitch to be appointed to work on the online campaign.
What do you give the man who has everything… Yourself!
Mernie Gilmore road-tests the latest Christmas present idea – a gift wrapped you
Memories of last year’s Christmas shopping are still etched on my mind. A desperate December dash around Oxford Street, credit card meltdown and nerves equally frayed, left me determined that this year would be different.
No more last minute present. No sir- this year’s yuletise would be all about organisation and forward planning.
Of course, 11 months on and I find myself in the same situation as last – it’s nearly December and the number of gifts that I have bought so far currently stands at zero. So imagine my joy when I heard about a new service provided by the fashion chain New Look. Forget searching around for the perfect gift for your partner – why not give yourself for Christmas instead?
For £80 you get to hightail it to your nearest participating store where you are greeted by a stylist who helps you shop.. You are then dressed in a new outfit worth up to £50 (which in New look is more than possible) and given a glamorous makeover before being shipped off in a large gift-wrapped box to your beloved’s doorstep.
The moment your partner answers the door and rips open the paper you can shout ‘Surprise!’ (or whatever you want to shout, really) and there you have it: the perfect Christmas present. After all what’s not to like? It’s you, gift-wrapped. OK, it might not be one of those flashy ipods that you can watch videos on but it’s got the personal touch.
So last week, I went to New Look’s London flagship store where I was met by stylist Arieta Mujay. She grabbed a trolley and started pulling things off the shelves. Trailing in her wake she asked me what I like to wear. “Er, wrap dresses,” I answered as I looked nervously at what was being selected.
To be honest, I’m not much of a shopper. But Arieta’s enthusiasm for the task was infectious and before I knew what had happened I was standing in the changing rooms surrounded by great piles of clothes and shoes. In the end there was one dress that was perfect. It was one of my stock favourites, a wrap dress, but when teamed with a lovely necklace and some killer heels it was a successful outfit.
Next, on to the delivery. There were, I could see, some logistical problems. Firstly my boyfriend lives in what would be described as a slightly edgy area of London/ The idea of being deposited in a gift-wrapped box on his doorstep didn’t appeal – left long enough there’s a chance I’d get nicked.
And what would happen if he wasn’t in? It would be a terrible shame to be glammed up and then left in the rain with my gift wrapped gradually disintegrating.
Rest assured, say New Look. That would never happen. They contact your partner beforehand to arrange a time for a mystery delivery. And when you are put on the doorstep, you are accompanied by two delivery men, who make sure that you are successfully opened by your lover before they get back into their van and drive off on their next assignment.
In the end, I decided to cheat slightly. I lulled my long-suffering boyfriend to our office under false pretensions (something about finishing work late and then going out for dinner).
Getting back into the box was a bit of a palaver – crouching down on four inch heels so that the box can be placed on top of you is no mean feat. And managing to stand up again without toppling forward was a miracle. The moment he saw the box he became suspicious. After all, the fact that there is a life-sized box is a bit of a giveaway in itself.
Thankfully the whole went swimmingly. My boyfriend was surprised, I didn’t fall over and I got a nice dress in the bargain.
“I suppose my first reaction was to think, ‘Wow, look at the size of the box,’” he told me when I grilled him afterwards.
“I’m reasonably tall but it even towered over me. And it is a bit strange seeing your girlfriend in a box. Obviously it was fun to tear off the packaging but it didn’t help matters that you were giggling inside and telling me to get on with it. That said, you looked stunning so I tried not to waste too much time.”
OK, so I paid him to say the last bit, but all in all I would deem the experience a great success.
Bring on next Christmas, where to top this year, I intend to be fired from a cannon straight into my boyfriend’s workplace as a festive surprise. I’m sure he’ll love that.
Give Yourself for Christmas from New Look, is available only in London. There are plans to roll it out nationwide next year. For details, call 020 7324 7200.
Pop-up invitation to the opening of a new H&M store in London’s Knightsbridge.
The pop-up is of the store itself set among the surrounding streets. The hand drawn illustrative style was also used for in-store graphics. Commissioned by Chloe Bowers at H&M.
Designed and produced by Hannah Measures and Nick Stickland at ODD.
Paper engineer: Sarah Wilson
Illustration: David Bray @ PVUK.com
Designer Mark Butler
This is the BOY with the Golden Gun – James Bond at the age of 13.
The drawing is to be used in a new series of children’s schoolbooks, featuring 007 as a schoolboy.
It shows the young Bond as a solitary adventurer dressed in 1930s clothes, with baggy trousers and a floppy fringe.
He obviously has some growing up to do before he turns into the suave superspy portrayed by Pierce Brosnan.
The family of Bond author Ian Fleming commissioned graphic artist Kev Walker for the image.
They want to use it on the cover of the second of a series of Young Bond books written by TV Fast Show star Charlie Higson.
Charlie’s first book SilverFin – published earlier this month – has been a big hit.
He said: “ The hardest thing when writing SilverFin was picturing the young Bond in my mind. Now I know what he looks like. Young Bond has really come alive.
Design and Marketing consultancy Odd has produced a pop-up invitation for fashion retailer H&M to promote the opening at the end of the month of its latest store, which is in London’s Brompton Road.
Twitter
Facebook
Delicious
Digg