Great Article About Marketing and Tweens (click on title to go to original source)

Individuality.com: Empowering youth through consumption?


By Erika Shaker
Our Schools / Our Selves, July 2001
Issue Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives


There are few places better than marketing conferences to find out what's really going on in the hearts and minds of corporate players. How they really feel about independence or critical thought...or, more accurately, how they deal with it. And this takes on a somewhat chilling edge when the topic of this marketing conference is youth.

Which was how I found myself at the Toronto Hilton for the Understanding Youth conference the beginning of May, surrounded by alarmingly well-groomed, shiny-toothed, youthful individuals, all sporting the latest trends (black capri pants, stacked heels, cell phones and beepers, wide collars and artfully-touseled hair) and all eager to share and glean information about the youth market.

The day began with the complimentary gifts--it's about marketing, after all--WWF keychains (shaped like teeny tiny folding chairs), logo-ed stationary, luggage tags, Chupa Chups suckers, calculators shaped like cell phones, and YTV pens. Lunches were sponsored by YTV and WWF, ice cream snacks by Hagen Daas, breakfasts by Kelloggs (individual boxes of Frosted Flakes and Rice-Crispie Snacks). I also came away with stacks of marketing literature describing in detail the shopping clout of this target market (aged anywhere from 2 years to early 20s) and industry ads ("Jessica--just one of 1.9 million kids you can reach with YTV--available in all shapes and sizes...the biggest collection of kids").

Conferences of this sort really do present an alternate reality, one where criticism of consumer culture and the direct targeting of children is called "Commie-Pinko crap" (and I didn't realize that people still used that term seriously) from people who are "so behind the times."

After all, we're told, youth are cool. They're aware. They're savvy--"much smarter than I was at their age," lament the speakers with apparent envy and admiration. Kids know what they want. And it's the duty of advertisers to listen, and give kids what they want, what they will buy, what they will put their financial clout behind. This is an $1.8 billion/year market--which impacts the spending of 10 times that amount. That's not small potatoes. Furthermore, this is a market that has a much greater longevity than one made up of older consumers--simply put, they will be around longer to spend more. That's why market research organizations prefer to call themselves" a youth market consultation and fulfillment house."

The message for marketers is clear. This is all about democracy. Give kids a platform to discuss issues important to them. Let them express themselves. It's not really about marketing to youth--it's all about empowering youth, giving them a sense of ownership and pride they can take in the media they create and the fashion they drive. The successful marketing campaigns that target youth are about respecting these young people, and recognizing that it's about fulfilling their needs--their need to feel important, to be treated as individuals, to be in control--not simply selling a product.

The irony--perhaps obscenity is a more accurate word--is constant reinforcement of the simple and erroneous equation of freedom with the Pepsi Challenge. Entire legions of kids, all rebelling from an uncomsumer-culture--all rebelling together, that is. But I digress.

Empowerment through commodification. It's an intriguing concept, really, and one that virtually guarantees lifelong support and consumption. After all, it's much more difficult to dis Reeses Peanut Butter Cups after they've acknowledged our ability to look beyond their logo and prefer them simply because they taste better than a homemade concoction of peanut butter and chocolate ("You're a slave to corporate logos!" "It's the taste, loser!"). And isn't that what's really important? Kids are apparently beyond the influence of logos and advertising, and advertisers are more than happy to inform kids of this revelation; ads are now simply the vehicle through which kids find humour and product information.

The trick for marketers is to reinforce this message: "we know that you know that we want you buy our product. Let's have a knowing giggle about this. You're past that. You're smarter than that. So buy our product because we acknowledge your superior market savvy." And to complete the illusion of respect, marketers must be creative--in their message, and in their advertising vehicle. The more interactive--sorry, empowering--the better.

Which is why companies like Alloy.com develop ad campaigns with a comprehensive approach--a vehicle (perhaps an ad in a teen magazine) to drive kids to a web site where they will participate in a contest or survey that prepares them for an upcoming radio advertisement for an actual product. Quizzes are very useful tools in marketing campaigns because they engage kids, and give them the illusion that companies are listening to what they think and feel. Plus, there's the added bonus of kids returning to the web site to see the results of the quiz or context...and the sponsor's name is well-profiled throughout the experience.

Take TIMEX for instance. Alloy launched a contest where kids were invited to choose between two possible designs for a new upcoming TMEX watch. The web site recorded between 40-50,000 responses from kids thrilled to be consulted on designing a "real" product. Of course there were prizes involved at all ends of the process; when TIMEX went with the more popular watch, kids who spread the message most "virally" (through a corresponding postcard campaign) were rewarded with more merchandise.

("Viral" is the latest catch word for marketing campaigns spread through word of mouth or on the street--campaigns successful at spreading the "buzz" of excitement surrounding a new product. Believe me, it caused quite a giggle during the Trojan Condom's marketing presentation.)

In other words, instead of logging on to a company web site, the kids tell Alloy what they want. And Alloy tells their corporate clients. Corporate messages are reinforced without kids actually having to visit a company site. Kids are more likely to play the "Hamburgler Pac Man game" on Alloy's website than they are to go to McDonalds.com for al little direct corporate interaction. And in return for developing and implementing these campaigns Alloy makes a pile of cash: the company will do $150 million in revenue targeting teens this year alone.

Sponsorships are another effective way of piggybacking on popular events--for example, aspects of the school day. Showbiz Productions has done this very effectively, "by going to schools, writing down all their important events, and corporatizing them--well, maybe not corporatizing them...maybe just making them better."

Showbiz has two major "vehicles" for getting corporations into schools: StreetBeat (a video dance party on wheels) and FashionShowToGo.com (coming this fall). These Trojan Horses as they're called, without a trace of irony, are designed specifically to make use of the dollars students represent and the desire for corporations to reach them.

Streetbeat is the moveable dance party/Trojan Horse that gets companies into schools using the vehicle of music. Schools already have to compete with cooler after-school activities to get kids to come to school dances (which have become an important form of fundraising), so it's actually much more logical for a student council to contact a production company like Streetbeat to put on a production/dance.

Streetbeat will bring in the sponsors, provide sampling products, print posters and tickets--and assemble a mailing list of potential customers for the sponsors. Isn't that less fuss for students who are busy with jobs, homework and dating? And, really, faced with the choice between a "professional" DJ and video dance party (where commercials will be viewed by the wildly dancing student audience as NIKE shirts and packs of Juicy Fruit gum are hurled off the stage) and "Bob and Carol's" DJ business down the street, what's a cool-conscious teen going to pick? No contest.

But it's not just high school dances that are up for grabs. Showbiz has determined that the two most popular events for schools are dances and fashion shows. (Actually, the prom ranks up there too but it's too emotional an event to consider corporatizing it...at least, for now. But the URL www.PromInACan.com is still available so who knows?)

Enter fashionshowtogo.com, a fully staged fashion show complete with retail and production. The popular kids in school act as models and organize the show. Students can even go to the web site and purchase products through the on-line shopping feature. And it's funny, but because all professional fashion shows have logos and commercial products and sponsors, students don't see fashionshowtogo.com as evidence of corporate sponsorship in schools--it's just like another "real" fashion show. Seems the key is to make sponsors not look like sponsors, a goal that Streetbeat has met admirably, setting what was termed by one admiring listener "the gold standard of sneaky."

Streetbeat has enjoyed massive growth and has used the "cool factor" well to its advantage in becoming a part of the school experience. All this amounts to big bucks, and "outreach to over a 1/2 million kids." And this doesn't even include the impact FashionShowToGo.com will have on Canadian schools, or the potential profit to corporations targeting this market.

The Showbiz representative led us in a brainstorming session (at a breakfast roundtable complete with complimentary Rice Crispie Square Treats and Kelloggs Frosted Flakes) to find new ways that cereal companies could get in to schools. This would be a trickier proposition as, unlike Streetbeat, the cereal industry was interested in younger grades and therefore a more impressionable--and controversial--audience. This in spite of the fact, as the corporate representative charmingly explained, that sugary cereals are in fact good for you "and have more vitamins than an apple."

(At this point we were also informed by another participant that potato chips aren't really bad for you--and it's just been extraordinary how parents have been subjected by teachers to the peer pressure of packing healthy lunches for their kids.)

Mr Showbiz suggested that the trick was not to sell cereal...but to sell breakfast. And within seconds he had devised a new marketing strategy. How about a breakfast party sponsored by the corporation? What if parents were told to bring their kids in to school 15 minutes early one morning, after the company had made arrangements with the principal that corporate support-staff would be available to oversee the event. And kids would all get their cereal, and some sort of "prize" of a pin which advertised the event. And then when Mom took the pin to the local grocery store she would receive a discount on that cereal.... Lots of media hooks, lots of potential, and lots of longevity. Sounds like a winner to me! I wonder if Campbell Soup saw similar sparks when they devised their soup kitchen for Toronto schools.

All very feel-good and media-friendly. All claiming to want nothing more than to help out kids and schools in their time of financial need. But it's no coincidence that the title of this roundtable session is "Trojan Horse marketing and sponsorship programs in schools...Finding an effective way to get your product or promotion into Canadian schools."

I've never been quite clear why the Trojan Horse is the descriptor of choice for corporations trying to target the school market--it being a symbol somewhat weighted in history and mythology and all. Ironic, given the insistence of the private sector that these initiatives are win-win. But I'm pretty sure the Trojans wouldn't have described the Greeks as "partners" in their civilization. And they sure wouldn't see the Trojan Horse as a win-win proposition. So why should schools see a dance party in a box, or a soup kitchen--a soup kitchen!--as anything other than what they are--the "gift" of corporate manipulation? In the case of Troy, it meant the destruction of a civilization. In the case of education, it is no less devastating.

Tween Dora - Coming Your Way

Parents upset over tween Dora the Explorer

If you have young children, there's no doubt you're aware of Dora the Explorer.

Kids love her cartoons and moms and dads love the character's bilingual lessons.

But toy-maker Mattel is upsetting some parents, who say Dora is growing up too fast.

Mattel plans to unveil a new, more grown-up Dora "tween" doll this fall. The toymaker gave parents a hint at what she'll look like in a press release, which featured a silhouette with long flowing hair and long legs.

Mattel also says the tweenaged Dora doll has "moved to the big city" and "has a...new fashionable look."

That worries some bloggers who say Dora will soon be "bratzed" out, sexualized like the Bratz dolls and become "obsessed with boys" like Barbie.

Others are organizing petition drives urging "no makeover for Dora."

The St. Petersburg Times' parenting blog, whoamomma, is demanding Mattel listen to their concerns. They they want a doll that isn't concerned about physical beauty. Some of the concerns folks have always had about Barbie.

Mattel and Nickelodeon are listening and want to assure parents that tween Dora does not remotely resemble Barbie. Instead, Mattel and Nickelodeon say she's the anti-Barbie.

Gina Sirard with Mattel says, "The reason we did this is to offer an alternative doll to moms who want their little girls to stay younger longer."

Mattel says tween Dora will still use her brains, but as an older girl. She'll use her adventurous spirit to solve mysteries with her new friends.

Sirard says, "It's not about the fashionista Dora, instead it's about Dora being able to go incognito so she can solve mysteries."

Mattel say children can hook up the Dora tween doll to a computer and take her into a virtual world where she can change her appearance to solve those mysteries.

The doll will be unveiled this fall.

48 Hours Special

PETA Protests MK and Ashley Outside Book Signing

CLICK ON ABOVE TITLE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE


The fur was flying—albeit peacefully—at the Olsen twins' Los Angeles book signing last night.
On hand to promote and sign copies of their new photo-driven coffee-table tome Influence, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were met not only by a flock of their style-conscious fans but by a mob of PETA protesters.
"The Olsen twins support an industry that forces animals to live in tiny wire cages their entire lives and electrocutes and kills them for vanity," PETA rep Ashley Byrne told E! News.
The animal-rights activists' beef, as it were, is not only due to the Olsens' frequent donning of fur and animal skins, but their use of both materials in their higher-end clothing line, the Row.
Eschewing their traditional headline-grabbing tactic of hurling red paint on the offending billionaire moguls, PETA, which has been campaigning against the so-dubbed "Trollsen Twins" since 2007, resorted instead to more calm, but equally disruptive, tactics.
At last night's event, PETA supporters wore doctored Olsen masks and held signs reading "Trollsens: Fur Hags From Hell" and "Hairy-Kate and Trashley Olsen: Fur Tramps."
The 22-year-olds, who did not immediately comment on Wednesday's protest, have long been easy targets for the animal-rights campaigners.
PETA previously launched an entire website dedicated to condemning the fashion plates' decision to use animal materials in their personal and professional lives. A video section on the site, dubbed "Full House of Horrors," also features edited video clips of the girls in their Michelle Tanner heyday interspersed with graphic footage of animal cruelty.
PETA has also launched a billboard ad campaign against the dynamic duo, featuring the twins' visages along with the tag line, "Fur is worn by beautiful animals and ugly people."
A rep for the Olsens has yet to comment on the incident.
—Additional reporting by Ashley Fultz

Grade-school Lolita: ‘So Sexy So Soon’

CLICK ON THE ABOVE TITLE TO LINK TO THE FULL ARTICLE

The sexualized childhood and how it affects kids younger than you think


What should the role of schools be in helping children (and their parents) deal with the sexualized media culture?

Dualstar mastermind Robert Thorne Represents Snoop Dogs New Clothing Line

Snoop Dogg to unveil new clothing line this week

(click on title above to link to snoop dogs clothing website)
Snoop Dogg
Rich & Infamous will showcase in Las Vegas
Aug 25, 2008
Snoop Dogg is set to unveil a line of clothing this week in Las Vegas, and will promote the brand through every entertainment project with which he’s involved.

The line which is called Rich & Infamous, will showcase at the Magic Fashion trade show in Sin City, and will be promoted through Snoop’s E! reality TV show ‘Father Hood’ as well as in his music videos, on his world tour and on his CD packaging.

The brand, which is aimed at men aged 18-35 will be streetwear-based and will include accessories and grooming products, says Variety.

"The Rich & Infamous brand is sculpted from Snoop Dogg's trend-savvy classic vision," Robert Thorne, CEO of the Robert Thorne Co. brand management firm told Variety.

“For Snoop Dogg, the name represents "a fraternity of sorts -- from presidents to gangsters -- who've been able to endure the burden of gaining wealth at any cost. Garnering equal parts admiration and disdain, these men savor the fruits and relish the spotlight," Thorne said.

A pioneer in tweens before they even called it tweens...a possible interviewee?

'Queen of tween' opens shop in her hometown
Boutique will be the first for veteran fashion designer
BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer

Fashion designer Sally Miller will open her first boutique tomorrow on North Main Street, Milltown. Miller has over the past 20 years established herself as a leader in the ever-evolving niche of tween, or size 7-14, girls clothing.
Milltown area tweens can go back to school in style, now that Sally Miller has come to town.

The six-year borough resident and award-winning fashion designer is opening her first retail shop on North Main Street in Milltown.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Miller said. “Milltown has been really generous in helping me move on this project, and just getting it done.”

Though the store is a first, it is far from Miller’s initial foray into the fashion world. The New York City transplant has spent more than 20 years establishing herself as a leader in the ever-evolving niche of tween, or size 7-14, girls clothing.

“I’ve been a pioneer in tweens before they even called it tweens,” Miller said.

While creating, designing and building brands, Miller got a finger on the fickle pulse of what tween girls want to wear. Before launching Sally Miller and Sally Miller Couture 19 months ago, she created Sally Mack, which won her the Fresh Face Award.

In November 2005, soon after being divorced, Miller woke up one morning and realized she wanted to be in business on her own, she recalled. By January, she was incorporated, and her namesake brand was born.

Since her unique line of fashion-forward clothing was released last fall, it has made its way to 375 specialty stores across the country. High-end department stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lord & Taylor, among others, quickly jumped on board, and the brand reached retail outlets as far away as Canada, Europe and Japan. In less than a year, the trailblazing designer’s wholesale volume surpassed $2 million.


“I’m really humbled by the industry and my customers really embracing the brand,” said Miller, who has been referred to as the “Queen of Tween Fashion.”

Miller’s success was far from a fluke. Her knack for fashion came at a young age, and she nurtured it over the years. A trend-spotter even as a young girl in her hometown of Philadelphia, Miller was babysitting by the age of 12 in order to earn funds for the clothes and accessories for which she pined. One purchase that stood out in Miller’s mind was a pair of tan, thigh-high boots that struck her fancy.

“It was something I always had a sense of at a very young age,” Miller said. “I knew pretty early.”

Her family provided a solid basis for Miller’s future career choice. With a mother who handmade outfits for Miller and her sister, Ellen, and a father who marched to the beat of his own style drum, it would seem only natural that the young designer-to-be would head in the direction she did.

Her grandmother, Isabelle Lazarus Miller, was a mentor for the young Miller. A fine artist and jewelry designer, her works have been exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

“No matter when you went to visit her, she always looked like she just stepped off the pages of Vogue — all of her outfits, makeup and jewelry put together in a modern, creative way,” Miller said. “She was very influential in my life as an artist.”

Inspiration also came from another wellknown fashion maverick who stood the test of time.

“I remember watching the Sonny and Cher show when I was a kid, and just being mesmerized by Cher,” Miller said.

Seeing Cher perform her final song of each show clad in fabulous designs by Bob Mackie only served to feed Miller’s desire to create such works of artistry herself someday.

Attending the camp her family owned in the Berkshires of Massachusetts also had a hand in shaping Miller’s future. She spent the first 23 summers of her life there, eventually becoming a counselor for the girls who attended.

“My interest in helping children celebrate who they are started at Camp Danbee,” Miller said. “As a counselor, I got very involved in dance and created an annual Dance Festival that still runs today. Running that program and helping all these girls find selfexpression through movement was very important to me.”

Miller went on to attend the Rhode Island School of Design for four years, honing her skills. For her senior thesis, which involved collaborations with a number of departments throughout the school, she won the Veteran’s Textile Award.

Her first big break came in the early 1980s, when she showed up at Karl Lagerfeld’s New York City office dressed in one of her own designs, portfolio in tow. While she did not meet with Lagerfeld that day, she did make a connection that got her a job working under Dana Buchman at Liz Claiborne. There she learned all the ins and outs of a major fashion operation, skills that would prove invaluable down the line.

After gleaning five years of experience there, Miller spent five months in Greece, exploring her love for dance as a performer and instructor, then returned to the U.S. to forge on in the fashion world. She was offered a job with a company specializing in the girls’ 7-14 niche, and she never turned back.

A single mother of two tweens of her own, Miller has a good handle on addressing the wants and needs of the age group. Of course, it does not hurt that she gets the inside scoop from Katie, 10, and Lilly, 9, along with that of their friends.

“When [Katie] was 8 years old, she designed her own outfit for her birthday party,” Miller said.

Though Lilly is more of a sporty type, Miller said she has been getting more involved recently, giving her feedback about her designs.

Miller uses her daughters and their friends as fit models and informal focus group participants, bartering their willing services for clothes and accessories from her line. A group of them marched in the Milltown Fourth of July parade wearing Sally Miller designs to introduce residents to the brand.

“My clothes are really age-appropriate, they’re really comfortable, they’re trendy and they’re hip,” Miller said.

Beyond looking good, Miller’s creations have a deeper philosophy behind them. She stresses the importance of giving the youngsters looks that will empower them by fostering attributes like self-confidence and positive decision-making.

“It’s really about nurturing their spirit, the tween spirit,” Miller said. “I actually had a mother say, ‘I feel so safe with your clothes.’ The girl has to want to wear it, but it has to be parent or guardian approved.”

In a world where high-profile tween idols are being marketed as sex symbols and engaging in risqué behavior, it is likely a breath of fresh air for parents to find clothing both they and their daughters can feel good about.

It seems no wonder that the demand for Miller to expand her collections to fit fashionable females of all ages grew enough to warrant the creation of Sally M, a brand for size 14 and up. The new line, which will hit her store and others Aug. 30, will include similar hip looks to fit a larger population.

“I don’t put an age range [on it],” Miller said. “It’s all about spirit.”

Jewelry Line for MKA

"First clothing lines The Row and Elizabeth and James and now a jewelry collection? The fashion gods must be listening! Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have teamed up with CFDA award-winning jewelry designer and sculptor Robert Lee Morris to create bling for the masses under a line dubbed Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James. Well, the price point of the line will determine how much mass appeal it will have, but I can't wait to see the pieces. The trio has been hard at work for a few months, digging into archives in Morris' headquarters in downtown Manhattan. So what can we expect from the petite sisters? Why, nothing short of silver and brass dagger necklaces, knuckle rings, and cool earrings. Bring. It. On!

Start saving money — Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's jewelry line is due to hit stores in September. The Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James collection will consist of over 80 gold and silver pieces. Staying true to their unique style (see Mary-Kate's little bedecked hands below), look forward to seeing abstract earrings, necklaces, metal cuffs, and rings embellished with crosses and daggers along with beading.
Commenting on the collaborative collection, Ashley states, "We liked the idea of having playful elements along with timeless and ageless pieces. The symbols are attachable and you can take the jewelry and make it your own. There are solid silver and gold pieces to wear forever and comfort pieces that you'll put on and wear everywhere."

The pieces will retail from $65 to $700, and be sold at Intermix stores nationwide, Holt Renfrew, Lane Crawford, and On Pedder. The dynamic duo have also hinted to an upcoming shoe and bag collection.

Webcast Gadgets Inspired by iCarly for girls 9-14

An iCarly-inspired camera: what do you pink...err, think?
(Credit: Nickelodeon)
Nickelodeon, Viacom Consumer Products, and Imation announced Monday that they're expanding their already choice-intensive line of youth-friendly electronics under Nickelodeon's Npower line to include Webcast gadgets inspired by iCarly.
That popular Nickelodeon show and Web site follow its characters as they host a Web show and grapple with everyday tween problems and adventures along the way (maybe one of those problems should be parsing out which gadgets to buy?).
Npower's iCarly line of electronics, which are being marketed to girls ages 9 to 14, include a $79.99 Webcam; a $24.99 iCarly action cam accessory that includes a steady cam mount, on-camera lighting, and detachable reporter-style mic for interviews that might inspire the next generation of CNET journalists; and a $39.99 iCarly 3-in-1 digicam that's also a PC, Web, and video camera.
The devices come with iCarly Digital Diary Software, which makes it easy to add photos, videos, and music, and text to a digital diary or journal. The iCarly program also lets kids upload videos and images to sites like iCarly.com.

iCarly in bed with AT&T

(click on title above to link to original article)

Nick Dials in Wireless With iCarly Buy
AT&T is buying time on Nick’s hybrid hit, iCarly, the show within a show that incorporates user-generated content into its linear narrative.
Aug 25, 2008
-By Anthony Crupi

Nickelodeon has signed its first wireless client, AT&T, to a multiplatform deal that coincides with the brand’s foray into the tween space.

AT&T is buying time on Nick’s hybrid hit, iCarly, the show within a show that incorporates user-generated content into its linear narrative. Speaking to Nick viewers in their own voice, custom-branded spots demonstrate how smartphones let kids be a part of the media mix while they connect with friends. The first spot will run on Nick next week.

In courting nonendemic advertisers, Nick over the last three years has redefined the kids market, expanding its roster of usual suspects to accommodate more than $100 million in automotive, consumer electronics and travel business. This summer, the net took its game up a notch with the AT&T/iCarly pact

Building off one of iCarly’s popular interactive segments, young actors in the ad use their Samsung Palm Centro phones to watch, shoot and share “Random Dancing” snippets. A call-out then directs viewers to an AT&T microsite hosted by Nick.com.

AT&T will highlight other smartphone models in the campaign, with plans to incorporate Sony Ericsson’s W350 Walkman into the creative later this fall.

According to AT&T’s youth marketing expert, Mimi Chan, tweens represent a vast untapped market for carriers, as usage rates among the iCarly set skyrocket. Of the 20 million in the 8-12 demo, nearly one-third own mobile devices.

While kids increasingly drive demand for wireless products, Chan said, they won’t accept just any phone model. “They see what their older siblings have, and they want that same functionality, the texting and the video,” said Chan, director of national marketing at AT&T.

“That’s why Nickelodeon is such a good fit for us. Kids are early adopters, and iCarly really connects with them on that level.” While iCarly delivers reliable reach, drawing 3 million viewers per episode, it also ranks as cable’s No. 2 live-action series among tweens.

“We’ve had our share of nonendemics before, but those were adult-facing campaigns,” said Jim Perry, executive vp of 360 brand sales for Nickelodeon and the MTVN Kids and Family Group. “This is big because they’re targeting the tween market directly.” The deal, representing a “seven-digit commitment,” Perry said, was set up by the $300 million upfront pact Nick closed with GroupM in May.

Buy their coffee table...and then their book..wait, do they sell coffee tables? Surely they do.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen explain it all
01:00 PM CDT on Monday, August 4, 2008

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are, in the words of People magazine, "gearing up to take the literary world by storm" with the publication of their joint memoir, the 272-page Influence, which purportedly charts the Olsens' spiritual and artistic maturation. (And to think they're just 22 years old.)

The sisters "take readers on a journey through their celebrated young lives, pausing to reflect on what has helped shape them into who they are today," a news release reads. The Olsens include interviews with the 20 people who have helped shape them the most, including fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Diane Von Furstenberg, John Galliano and Christian Louboutin and model-actress Lauren Hutton. (Curiously missing are such trendsetters as Leo Tolstoy, the Dalai Lama, Jane Austen, Adam Smith and Patti Smith.)

"We want to explain culturally how ideas evolve," Mary-Kate said. The book also features drawings and photographs, and would go beautifully with most standard coffee tables.

Hannah's So Over...It's iCarly now...same idea...another package.

After my shoot with my tween experts (five amazing girls ages 9-12) a few weeks back it was brought to my attention that Hannah's popularity with tween girls is lessening quickly (it seems her Jonas Bros. fling didn't help any). Apparently Miley Cyrus is being replaced by Miranda Cosgrove from the show iCarly as the coolest of the tween tv girls. Who knew? Well, not me.

Unfortunately iCarly doesn't come out on DVD until Sept. so for now im having to use youtube to research. I was relieved to see that Im not completely out of the loop though. Turns out Miranda Cosgrove played Summer in School of Rock so Ive at least seen this kid.

Finally, two more quick notes:

1) Carly Shay's being raised by her 26-year-old brother Spencer. Dad is an absent Navy Seal. Mom...died maybe? No one seems to be quite sure on the message boards. No matter..as usual the shows lead has no mom.

2) Miranda Cosgrove is also a singer releasing songs now.

Using "Paparazzi" style photographs to sell identification...and merchandise

I was just looking at the Elizabeth and James website and found it interesting that MKA is using a paparazzi style of photos to sell their collection. Argue if you like, but most of these images could be Us or OK material. Not all...but most.

There's an interesting push and pull happening...stars seeming to want to be left alone by the paparazzi and yet using the photographic style to imply that wearing this clothing line will get you paparazzi attention and, one could read, fame.

I suppose its business as usual, stars keep finding ways to push their goods with the "buy this and be like us" concept.

Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen Venture Into Jewelry Designing

Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen Venture Into Jewelry Designing
June 2, 2008 7:54 a.m. EST

Anne Lu - Celebrity News Service News Writer
New York, NY (CNS) - Power twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are expanding their empire with a new designing venture. The pint-size moguls are set to create a collection of jewelry designs.

The 21-year-olds have collaborated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America award-winning jewelry designer Robert Lee Morris to create a range of accessories for their Elizabeth and James clothing company.

According to reports, the twins are working closely with Morris, whom they are both admirers. They have been visiting his headquarters to search through his archives for inspiration before they would decide on which design to add in their collection.

The line will consist of "silver and brass dagger necklaces, amorphous knuckle rings and edgy earrings," as per WWD.

The line "Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James" is set to launch within a few months.

Because their greatest concern is to get a prince and be Hollywood's Cinderella....

Below is Elizabeth Snead's commentary from the LA Times on MKA's recent fashion choices. Im not saying I disagree with the fact that they look a mess, Im more put off by the last sentence.


Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen: Double homicide, haute couture ruthlessly murdered

With her cutout midriff retro '80s gown and scraggly hair, Ashley Olsen looks like a part-time cocktail hostess working at a joint outside Vegas, albeit in a Dress Barn variation of Azzedine Alaia circa 1986.

Meanwhile, sister Mary-Kate "Auntie Mame" Olsen looks like someone's crazy, unkempt, tipsy grandma, who's bound to spill her drink and repeat back what you just said a little too loudly.

The richest twentysomething twins on the planet and this is how they dress for the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Gala, the biggest fashion ball of the year?

I say: No handsome princes for these girls, who look more like the evil stepsisters than Hollywood's Cinderellas.