Sponsor (Apr-June 1961)

Macy's taped its tv fashion show in Rome featuring French and Italian designer originals (worn by model at left, for example) and store copies (shown by Celeste Holm). It was Macy's third tv fashion venture and one of many department store spring tv fashion shows staged throughout the country TV TAKES THE FASHION WORLD BY STORM ^ Print-minded stores like Macy's, Ward, Alexander's, Ohrbach's, Hess' are using spot tv to show spring lines ^ Tv fashion shows are stimulating in-store traffic, boosting sales, building images, stores happily report I he wooing of retail store advertising budgets from print to tv has seen its first major breakthrough this spring. Around 50 department stores, including Vlae\ s. Ohrbach's and Alexanders in New York: Montgomery Ward in 15 southcentral markets; Woodward & Lothrop in Washington, D. ('.: and Hess Bros, in Allentown. Pa., have staged 30-minute taped fashion shows on local tv stations. The significance of this breakthrough for spot tv is no small matter. For one thing, it is a giant step in the over-all education of printentrenched retail and department stores, on the flexible uses of television. And. from the general results of this fashion swing into television, it looks as if more and more stores will be participating in these seasonal events. There are four main reasons why department stores are using tv in a big way this year to show their new spring-summer lines. These are: • To stimulate in-store traffic. • To build the store image as a high fashion house. • To sell the actual clothes shown. • To show the creations to a mass audience in one shot. Although many smaller department stores have been using fashion shows for several years, it was not until spring 1960. when Macy's first showing of imports and copies was presented on WNBC-TV, New York, that the tv fashion parade took hold. Since then, the idea has spread rapidly. Several other stores, including Ohrbach's. Meier & Frank. Portland. Ore.: Alexander's and Gimbels in Milwaukee, got their feel wet with t\ fashion shows last year. The biggest news, however, came this spring when Montgomery-Ward undertook its 15-market regional project. This was \\ aid s first dip into regional program sponsorship. The show was taped at WFAA-'IA . Dallas, and spotlighted designers and manufacturers from the southwest. Purpose of the show was twofold: to commemorate the opening of \\ aids Dallas buying office, and to stimulate sales. Although all results were not in at press time. Ward indicated that sales, following the show, were "tremendous." The show was produced by Mom* gomen Wards public relation department. Individual stores in the chains southcentral region were selected to carry the show. The stores bought their own time. The program was shown on tape in 12 markets, where tape facilities were available. and on kinescope in three markets. The actual production ran 2<> minutes. The remaining time was give! over to individual store managers for institutional commercials on behalf of their particular Ward branch. The department store tv fashion show ball got rolling last March in \cw York. At thai time, Georgl I * 1 1 1 _ retail stores account executive at \\ NBC-TV. New York, approached Macy's with an idea for a taped fashion show of imports. Mac\'s liked it. Alpine cigarettes sponsored it. and the show was a success. 46 SPONSOR 3 \pril 1961