Fashion Advertising: How the X Games can sell work apparel
Twice a year, clothing manufacturers look for memorable ways to introduce their latest designs. They hire models, stage outlandish runway shows, throw lavish parties. But when all that’s over, they rely on tried-and-true marketing tactics—fashion advertising, catalogs, and other printed materials that not only show off the fashions, but also engage fashion buyers.
That’s why we designed this “look book” for Carhartt.
Fashion Advertising
It includes page after page of fashion photography of Carhartt’s super durable work apparel. But that’s not all—it also includes an interesting story about Jack Murphy and his ragtag crew of event wranglers.
In the event marketing world, Jack Murphy is the go-to guy for designing one-of-a-kind, large-scale blockbuster events. He designs and builds sets, platforms, ramps, half pipes—whatever is needed for events like the X Games, the Summer and Winter Dew Tours and other spectacular events around the world.
Event Marketing Guru
Need to build a snow boarding event in the middle of a Utah blizzard? You call Jack. He’ll design the stadium, truck in the steel trusses, scaffolding, lighting, cables and other equipment, and even coordinate the production details with ESPN.
And the best part: his entire production crew looks like Carhartt models—big, burly, tattooed biker types wielding chain saws and other power tools. Who better to feature in Carhartt fashion advertising?
Carhartt For Everyone
To produce this book, we had a photographer follow Jack’s crew and shoot behind-the-scenes photos at three different Jack Murphy productions—a DIRECTV celebrity flag football game in Dallas, a Taylormade driving range in the middle of Manhattan, and a Dew Tour event in Ogden, Utah.
For my part, I got to interview Jack Murphy and his wife, Shane. I was blown away by this guy’s lifestyle, traveling around the world from one venue to another, solving problems, working out details, and constantly battling the clock to meet deadlines. And I thought I worked hard.
The finished piece was extremely successful, helping Carhartt expand into several new retail outlets. It also won a Gold ADDY—not bad for what could have been a cliche testimonial approach to fashion advertising.
