Kmart Says "Money Can't Buy Style" With Its New Fashion Campaign

NEW YORK, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In fall 2011, Kmart will debut an unexpected advertising campaign, titled "Money Can't Buy Style," -- aimed at empowering customers to embrace their individualism when approaching fashion. Rather than focusing on brand names or even trends, the ads will emphasize self-expression in fashion by featuring real people in Kmart looks they've created themselves.

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The new campaign, created in collaboration with Peterson Milla Hooks (PMH), invites people to "show us what you got" and will include 20 real people in a variety of pieces from the fall 2011 Kmart collections, selected and styled by each individual. The Kmart team spent three weeks hitting the streets across the country to find real people who reveled in their individual style and brought it to life in incredibly unique ways. Personality, creativity and confidence are key to style: the new stars of the campaign definitely have all three.

"Our goal is to get people to look at Kmart apparel differently," said Tara Poseley, president of Apparel at Kmart. "We took a fresh approach in our campaign with a message that truly embodies what Kmart does best -- making the aspirational attainable. We have great fashion that we're not getting credit for today. We hope the campaign will get people to consider us for what is a very compelling brand portfolio." 

When it came time to shoot the campaign, the creative team wanted to ensure a casual, upbeat atmosphere where everyone could feel at ease and comfortable in letting their style shine through. Each look was shot privately with the talent and photographer only for enhanced intimacy. As is typical in fashion shoots, surround sound music was blasted throughout the sessions to create a high-energy environment that kept participants energized throughout the day. Authenticity was essential: to capture the true essence of each participant, and encourage him or her to be both spontaneous and natural in their self-expression, the photographer asked fun and unconventional questions. The end result was a series of genuine responses and expressions captured on film.

"Our new campaign is a disruptive break from fashion advertising clutter," said Robin Creen, chief marketing officer of Apparel at Kmart. "It truly hits the mark in conveying how fun and accessible fashion can be, by capturing the essence of real people who know how to put it all together."

In addition to highlighting the true style of everyday people and the attainability of great fashion, the campaign is designed to convey the insignificance of money in making a statement. With new brands and a new approach to style, Kmart hopes its accessible fashion environment will also excite the senses and inspire unique, personal style through mixing and matching.

The new campaign will launch in September with an assortment of print, digital and outdoor advertising.

ABOUT KMART

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Kmart