Match with your Sole Sister at Nine West

Today, engaging with a generation whose attention-spans, generally, do not stretch much further than 8 seconds is rather challenging. Nevertheless, a promotional campaign, which successfully reaches the three ideal levels of engagement: cognitive, relational and behavioural (Fill and Turnbull, 2019, p.5) is an effective way of communicating a brand’s image (Posner, 2015).

Figure 1: Nine West 2019 spring campaign

Authentic Brands Group’s leading footwear, handbag and lifestyle brand, Nine West, does just this in their 2019 spring campaign Sole Sisters. The brand manipulates the literary device of a pun to captivate and intellectually include their target consumers in the campaign message to fully achieve cognitive engagement (Fill and Turnbull, 2019, p.5). A pun exploits two words of the same sound with different meanings (Oxford English Dictionary, 2007); in this case the word ‘sole’ instead of ‘soul’. This associates the word ‘sole’ not just with a shoe but to the consumer’s spiritual being, creating an emotional connection between the brand and its consumers.

Figure 2: The message behind Sole Sister

Nine West wants to establish an everlasting brand image, highlighting their willingness to adjust and support the current mind-sets and behaviours of society (Posner, 2015, p.147). Inspired by societies attitude that “the future is female” (Mettler, 2017), Sole Sisters showcases a group of strong, independent and accomplished women who lead and mentor within their fields (Apparel Group, 2019). This lets the brand embellish on relational engagement, “the extent to which individuals feel connected with their environment” (Fill and Turnbull, 2019, p.5) and ensure their relevance in the minds of millennials. Moreover, partnering with female empowering charities, Nine West is continuing its support with this current zeitgeist. (Apparel Group, 2019).

Figure 3, 4 and 5: The three individual pairs part of the campaign

The long-lasting message of the campaign magnifies how as a brand, Nine West aims to support and inspire the lives of women. Sole Sisters resonates this by embracing sisterhood in all forms, celebrating the spirit, strength and bond of women. Natasha Fishman, executive vice president of Authentic Brands Group, said “today’s women are the forefront of everything we do. We mirror their spirt and personality in every detail empowering them to take on the world in style” (WWD, 2019).

Figure 6, 7 and 8: Personal stories and their relationship

This is apparent in a heart-warming video featuring three individual pairs talking about their personal stories and their relationship between women whilst emphasising the different and unique sisterly bonds. (Apparel Group, 2019). Including sisters Laura and Nathalie Love, co-founders of the We the Women collective, models and best friends Akiima Ajak and Elizabeth Ayodele, and mother-and-daughter winemakers Melinda Kearney and Michele Ouellet all modelling the brands collections.

Although this blog post is not about integrated marketing communications (for the integrated marketing communications post, click here), it must be mentioned that by using this it ensures consumers are fully engaging. Sole Sisters emulates this by not just limiting themselves to one promotional tool but by reinforcing their beliefs and imagery across different media touch points: short films, digital print, out-of-home, extended digital content across social media platforms and influencers (Hackley, 2010).

Figure 9: Influencers part of the Sole Sister campaign

Influencers passionate about the philosophy of “The Future is Female” (Mettler, 2017) and what Sole Sisters stands for shared their own touching stories of sisterly bonds and how they choose to empower each other (Nine West, 2019). Influencers, such as Georgene Huang and Romy Newman, cofounders of Fairygodboss, joined the movement.

Not only did Influencers connect with the message but consumers did too. This instigated the final level of engagement: behavioural, reflecting the extent individuals “feel involved and participate in activities” (Fill and Turnbull, 2019, p.5). They started participating in the movement via the social media hashtag #NineWestsSoleSisters by posting their own sisterly bonds and how they empower and support one another.

Head on down to a Nine West store with your Sole Sister today.

Reference List

Apparel Group. 2019. Nine West Debuts its spring 2019 Campaign “Sole Sisters”. [Online]. [Accessed 21 October 2019]. Available From: https://www.appareluae.com/nine-west-debuts-its-spring-2019-campaign-sole-sisters/

Fill, C, Turnbull, S. 2019. Marketing Communications. [Online]. 8th ed. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Canada. [Accessed 11 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9781292235011

Hackley, C. 2010. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communication Approach. 2nd ed. Los Angeles; London: Sage.

Mettler, K. 2017. Hillary Clinton Just Said It, but ‘The Future is Female’ Began as a 1970s Lesbian Separatist Slogan. [Online]. [Accessed 14 December 2019]. Available From: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/08/hillary-clinton-just-said-it-but-the-future-is-female-began-as-a-1970s-lesbian-separatist-slogan/

Nine West. 2019. Nine West Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 5 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3F_Fc4gwJY

Oxford English Dictionary. [Online]. 3rd edition. 2007. s.v. Pun. [Accessed 22 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/154549?result=1&rskey=uxESCN&

Posner, H. 2015. Marketing Fashion: Strategy, Branding and Promotion. 2nd ed. London, United Kigdom: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Staff, F. 2019. Marketing Plays: February 2019. [Online]. [Accessed 21 October 2019]. Available From: https://footwearnews.com/2019/business/media/marketing-fashion-news-campaigns-deals-february-2019-1202737740/

WWD. 2019. The Best Fashion Ad Campaigns of Spring 2019. [Online]. [Accessed 21 October 2019]. Available From: https://wwd.com/business-news/media/gallery/the-best-fashion-ad-campaigns-of-spring-1202936664/

Figure List

Figure 1: Apparel Group. 2019. Nine West Debuts its Spring 2019 Campaign “Sole Sisters”. [Online]. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.appareluae.com/nine-west-debuts-its-spring-2019-campaign-sole-sisters/

Figure 2: Nine West. 2019. Meet Spring’s Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://emailtuna.com/ninewest.com/666220

Figure 3: Nine West. 2019. Sole Sisters Lift Each Other Up. [Facebook]. 29 March. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.facebook.com/ninewest/photos/a.79571074331/10156508577264332/?type=3&theater

Figure 4: Nine West. 2019. Meet Best Friends Akiima Ajak & Elizabeth Ayodele. #NineWestSoleSisters. [Facebook]. 25 February. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.facebook.com/ninewest/photos/a.79571074331/10156438684199332/?type=3&theater

Figure 5: Nine West. 2019. Sole sisters Admire Each Other’s Wisdom and Strength. #NineWestSoleSisters. [Facebook]. 16 March. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://www.facebook.com/ninewest/photos/a.79571074331/10156479612924332/?type=3&theater

Figure 6: Nine West Canada. 2019. Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://ninewestcanada.com/sole-sisters

Figure 7: Nine West Canada. 2019. Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://ninewestcanada.com/sole-sisters

Figure 8: Nine West Canada. 2019. Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 17 November 2019]. Available From: https://ninewestcanada.com/sole-sisters

Figure 9: Nine West. 2019. Nine West Sole Sisters. [Online]. [Accessed 17 December 2019]. Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3F_Fc4gwJY