Shai clothing, a French clothier, is using nude French porn stars to sell its latest styles in new online ads.
Shai’s newest interactive ad campaign shows porn stars frolicking in bed in the company’s latest fashions before stripping completely, the Los Angeles Times reported. The ads allow viewers to click on the moving images to buy a variety of goods. It also allows customers to click on the clothes which then stops the video and shows a clothing chart with prices and sizes available.
Jeff Lanctot, vice president of Seattle-based ad agency Avenue A/Razorfish, said Shai’s Web strategy shows that advertisers are no longer looking for hit shows like “Friends,” to sell their products. They are now looking to replace A-list actors like the sitcom’s Jennifer Aniston with a porn star.
The strategy, experts say, also shows the advantages of a medium like the Web which is made for interactivity.
But Ian Schafer, CEO of the interactive ad agency Deep Focus, said he doesn’t think the marketing campaign will sell clothes, saying it merely entertains people who want to watch porn and not necessarily those that want to buy clothes.
But Shai founder Alexandre Maisetti said he is optimistic about his new ads, saying it has already attracted two million people from 117 countries to his Web site.
Maisetti, however, admitted the company has had few sales from its online campaign. He said he wants the company to develop notoriety and attract those who will eventually buy its products if not this season, the next one.
Likewise, Alexandra Spunt, who handles advertising for Los Angeles-based American Apparel, said she was intrigued by Shai’s campaign. But noted that nudity wouldn’t go over well with U.S. consumers.
Shai is online at www.shaiwear.com.
