What Not To Do

Last Friday, I went to the Northshore Mall, a suburban mall outside of Boston, to check out the kick-off event to the What Not To Wear's promotional tour. Being a big fan of fashion makeover shows, I thought it would be good to see how the style mavens executed their brand in person.

The scene
Outside the Lord & Taylor department store, the familiar red and white logo beaconed mall shoppers to a sleek kiosk. The ad promo promises “expert” advice from fashion consultants but upon arrival you only see a cluster of flat screen monitors and khaki-clad ushers.

The advice
The expert advice comes in the form of a 3-minute game where you choose your basic physical features (body shape, height, and hair type). Then you “dress” a mannequin with a digital wardrobe. Afterwards, you get a “customized” printout of wardrobe tips along with a copy of your saved outfits. Although the game is fun, I do not need to come to a mall to experience it. It would be a much better marketing tool on the What Not To Wear's website.

Brand promise
The absence of live stylists disappointed me but also surprised me that the obvious benefits of cross marketing were ignored. In a large mall with dozens of hairstylists and makeup artists, a live makeover event would not only benefit the What Not To Wear brand- by delivering an expected live makeover- but boast business for the various fashion and beauty stores housed in the Simon Malls.