LAT: Wal-Mart Takes a Page From Vogue (new ad campaign)

[DeepModem Mom]

Wal-Mart Takes a Page From Vogue
Actually eight pages. The discount chain aims to lure bigger spenders with ads for its clothing.
By Leslie Earnest, Times Staff Writer


Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which wooed cost-conscious shoppers to become the world's largest retailer, is setting its sights on deeper pockets.

Readers of the September issue of Vogue magazine, which hit newsstands Tuesday, encountered eight pages of ads for the discount chain. Sandwiched between spots for high-end designers Emanuel Ungaro and Roberto Cavalli, the ads show a mom, a martial artist and other women wearing Wal-Mart clothes. Each ad lists the featured woman's "style profile" and the city where "her Wal-Mart" is located.

Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., is part of a growing trend: Retailers known for low prices are launching ad campaigns to lure big spenders.

Minneapolis-based Target Corp., which is already attracting shoppers with products designed by the likes of Isaac Mizrahi and Michael Graves, bought all of the ad space in the Aug. 22 edition of the highbrow New Yorker magazine. Target also has eight ad pages in the September Vogue.

John Fleming, Wal-Mart's chief marketing officer, said Tuesday that the company's Vogue campaign was intended to highlight the chain's continuing effort to improve its apparel. Fleming said he hoped the ads would prompt more of the 120 million customers the chain averages per week to visit its clothing aisles. That assumes, of course, that Wal-Mart's current customers read Vogue, which sounds like a stretch until Fleming says that 93% of all households include a person who visits a Wal-Mart at least once a year....


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-walvogue24aug24,0,7210122.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. This MUST be the joke of the day

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[durablend]

2. Just polishing the turd...

Since the poor/middle class are more squeezed than ever (and ergo, have little extra money to spend), WM has to set their sights higher to people who actually have the money to throw away on overpriced crap.

[UpInArms]

3. I wonder how those "Vogue" readers will respond

to the pull of the race to the bottom?

[YOY]

4. Someone didn't read the demographic charts...

and if they did they forgot their negative reputation among those outside of the demographic charts.

In lieu of this fact instead of trying to "repair" their image by doing some real changes in their policies they pull this idiocy. Bad managment all around in this company.

[durablend]

7. Negative reputation?!?

What "negative reputation"? EVERYONE loves Wal*Fart (except for some digruntled liberals but they don't matter anyway)

:sarcasm:

[soup]

5. ~!* Coffee Meets Keyboard Alert *!~

DeepModem Mom,

This is the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

I'm thinking

"""Attention Walmart shoppers, would the owner of the pickup truck please move your vehicle. You're blocking the valet parking.""""

"""Attention Walmart shoppers, There is a sale on Prada handbags in aisle 4, located near the plastic shower curtain, automotive air freshener and produce department."""

"""Attention Walmart shoppers, a reminder that cash register 129 is reserved for platinum cardholders only."""

etc.

Note: spell check wants to change Walmart to a list that starts with 'Wilmar', includes 'walkout', and ends with 'smart'

:rofl:

[DeepModem Mom]

6. LOL!

[soup]

8. one more. sorry -

FLASH --- FLASH --- FLASH

"Paris Hilton's driver sustained minor injuries this morning when her limo collided with with another transporting 'the Donald'. Both were attempting to be first in line to catch a sale on paper towels at the Walmart located on Highway 46.

film at 11."

edit because I'm an idiot.

[Javaman]

9. Lipstick on a pig