September 3, 2011
"Will Work For Shoes" Reveals Backstage Drama of Red Carpet Fashion
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Susan J. Ashbrook is the pioneer of celebrity dressing. While she may not be a household name like many of the celebrities she has worked with - Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonc�, Halle Berry, Taylor Swift and Rihanna - she has played an integral role in some of Hollywood's most famous fashion stories:
Ashbrook single-handedly created a world that seamlessly bridges designers and stars and she successfully established what so many tried to create but couldn't - a one-stop shop where VIPs can get the best of the best for red carpet dressing from all over the world.
Ashbrook's much anticipated inside look behind the curtain of celebrities and fashion through her forthcoming book, "Will Work for Shoes: The Business Behind Red Carpet Product Placement," reveals a combination of star-studded stories, personal anecdotes and top notch advice about the celebrity product-placement business and provides an expert eye on the ins-and-outs of working with the stars to gain brand exposure and build sales.
"I was so fortunate to be introduced to Susan Ashbrook and Film Fashion early in my career. Susan helped me 'have the look' on my early red carpet appearances and she continued to help guide me through my Academy Award nominee season," said Academy Award nominee, actress Taraji P. Henson
Effective celebrity product placement can be an essential marketing tool for anyone wishing to create or expand their business, no matter what sector they are in. It doesn't matter whether your product is high-end or low-end; product placement can make all the difference as the effectiveness of traditional advertising platforms have diminished.
Many companies have become household names in recent years largely because of effective product placement in tinsel town. If you have a product you wish to promote, there is no reason not to take advantage of this power, regardless of the size of your organization or the nature of your product.
"Will Work for Shoes: The Business Behind Red Carpet Product Placement" by celebrity marketing pioneer Susan Ashbrook, offers a wealth of helpful strategies that companies can use to capitalize on the consumer influence of celebrities. Though focused on fashion, Ashbrook's advice is applicable to almost any type of product, and she makes a brilliant case for why placing product with celebrities can increase sales more successfully and economically than traditional advertising.
Through her own anecdotes and interviews with the top names in celebrity marketing, Will Work for Shoes explains how to build key relationships, get product to stars and stylists, and more importantly -- prepare for the publicity it will bring. A-list celebrities, designers, and stylists (from Angelina Jolie to Kenneth Cole to Phillip Bloch) appear on almost every page, accompanied by illustrative photos, including a full-color photo insert.
"I got my start in fashion," Ashbrook says, "as the Director of Public Relations for designer Richard Tyler. It was there that I had an epiphany. Actors and models have agents. If unknown fashion designers want to succeed in their rarified world, they also need agents. I left Richard Tyler and reinvented myself as a designer's agent to Hollywood. After selling my company, Film Fashion, I wanted to share my experience and provide a behind the scenes look at the world of fashion and entertainment along with valuable business lessons."
As the pioneer in the field of celebrity marketing, Ashbrook's extensive experience and deep knowledge of product placement enable her to give insightful and field-tested advice. Throughout Will Work for Shoes she explains the exciting, competitive world of red carpet marketing and reveals:
Simple strategy and tactics anyone can follow to launch their product...the right way
"Whenever people want to talk about my profession matching fashion clients with top-notch celebrities for the red carpet," Ashbrook adds, "the number one question I get asked is how do you do it? Will Work For Shoes offers tips and strategies you can use to give your merchandise its own starring role on the red carpet."
Susan Ashbrook got her start in Fashion working for the designer, Richard Tyler, as his Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Recognizing celebrities can bring brand awareness through the red carpet, Ashbrook founded and pioneered the first fashion product placement company in Los Angeles, Film Fashion.
Film Fashion acted as a liaison to exclusive fashion houses, fashion designers and fashion related products in the Hollywood community. Later, Ashbrook sold Film Fashion to the PR powerhouse Rogers & Cowan - owned by the Interpublic Group.
Ashbrook has been involved in "product placement" for 20 years, matchmaking top celebrities with a roster of clients such as: Lanvin, Swarovski, Catherine Malandrino, Escada, Isaac Mizrahi, Kenneth Cole, Herve L Leroux, Tadashi, A Pea In The Pod and Harry Winston Jewelry. She has consulted for non-fashion brands like Nikon, Hasbro Games, MasterCard, Bellini baby furniture and Hooked On Phonics.
She currently consults for Parisian fashion designer, Herve L Leroux, and is available for motivational speaking engagements which have included: The Fashion Institute of Costume & Design, Fashion Group International, MasterCard, and others. Ashbrook is a member of Toastmasters.
Website: www.SusanJAshbrook.com
Will Work for Shoes will be published September 2011 and at that time can be purchased from www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and through all major booksellers.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
