Skechers Debuts Britney Spears 4Wheelers

Manhattan Beach, Calif. -- Skechers USA Inc. has teamed with pop star Britney Spears to promote its new 4Wheelers skates, which add a dash of updated styling to traditional roller skates. As a result, the marketing campaign blends elements of '70s-era retro chic and current fashion.Displays for the campaign are designed to incorporate the same look and message as the company's print ads. They began shipping on June 15 and will continue to roll out through Aug. 1. The program is scheduled to remain in stores through the end of the year.This campaign marks a number of firsts for the company. It's the first time a Skechers product has been branded to a specific celebrity. In the past, celebrities have been featured in print ads, but only in a general branding sense."The logic of this campaign is that we are really promoting [Britney] as the brand," says John Quinn, chief strategy officer. "It is the 'Britney 4Wheelers' ... It's as much a Britney promotion as it is a Skechers promotion."The campaign also marks Skechers' first foray into what the marketing team terms "image branding." The approach is altering the way the company approaches its P-O-P."This is the first time that I've geared up a P-O-P campaign to match a celebrity endorsement," says Scott Greenberg, vice president of visual merchandising. "We wanted to match the print campaign exactly, and to make the lifestyle that we're presenting bigger than life."To accomplish this, floorstands, slatwall displays, countertop displays, window suction cup displays, box merchandisers and standees were designed and produced by United Displaycraft, Des Plaines, Ill., and Benchmarc Display Inc., Vernon Hills, Ill. Materials used in the displays include metal, Sintra and foamboard. In all, 10,000 displays will be produced and shipped to department stores, sporting goods stores and athletic shoe chain stores.Skechers has been featuring Spears in its international print ads since late 2000. A domestic campaign was a natural development of that relationship. "She proved to be hugely popular and it was a very successful endorsement," says Quinn. "Our international business grew dramatically during that time period. We have to attribute at least some of that remarkable growth to her presence."Following that success, marketers at Skechers began talking to the pop idol about appearing in domestic ads and on P-O-P. When the idea of 4Wheelers was introduced, it seemed to be a natural demographic match."We started a series of discussions with her and her representatives regarding expanding that relationship and doing something domestically, as well as worldwide," says Quinn. "We saw that she was a natural for this product. She has a certain image and persona that works well with the product and appeals to the female members of our audience."Quinn says the displays are primarily targeted at pre-teen girls through women in their 20s, but he speculates that the appeal of both Spears and the 4Wheelers product may go well beyond that range.Skechers' licensing agreement with Spears also includes the right to sublicense skate-related apparel and accessories. "You will probably see some Britney skate bags, wrist bands and elbow pads," says Quinn.

Skechers Debuts Britney Spears 4Wheelers

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