M&S VOGUE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT

Client Feedback:

“Your knowledge of fashion and retail delivered an event that created a fantastic buzz for VOGUE Fashion’s Night Out. The catwalk shows and set design were stunning and exceeded our expectations. If it’s a fashion event, Timebased proved they are the only company who could have pulled this off”. M&S

Creative Event Brief:

In September M&S participated in a VOGUE celebration of fashion which was part of a bold global initiative. The international editions of VOGUE partnered with designers, department stores, high-street chains and boutiques to create ‘Fashion’s Night Out’, an evening extravaganza held around the world. M&S wanted to be seen as a key player in the event. M&S brought Timebased in as the event planning company to produce their show. The objective was to establish the M&S brand as a firm competitor on the high street. We had to change people’s perception of M&S as a ‘safe’ brand and to celebrate M&S as a leader in the high street fashion industry. M&S wanted to showcase their best products in a stylish and engaging way – promoting the Autumn Winter 2009 range and reinforcing M&S’ style credentials. Our experience in the management of product launch events made us an ideal company for M&S to work with. The ultimate goal on the day for us as a corporate event coordinator was to drive footfall and to generate sales for the store.

Event Planning and Approach:

To produce a brave and original event Timebased built a fashion tent structure featuring a catwalk. Four catwalk shows were to be hosted during the evening. As event organisers, we were needed to run an event that moved the brand away from the perception of ‘safe’ towards ‘edgy’ and ‘inspirational’. The entrance was a gabled style facade featuring the VOGUE and M&S branding. Shoppers that evening were invited to attend the shows. Our event planning team ensured approximately 50 VIP customers were seated per show, having won special tickets via Facebook, Twitter and other sites. Every customer received a goody bag and a mini bottle of champagne. In-between catwalk shows, fashion workshops were held for customers. There were workshops on styling, how to wear the new autumn trends, lingerie master classes among others. Celebrity DJ ‘Little Boots’ performed a DJ set for the evening, making it a truly creative & memorable event.

Event Managment Results:

Timebased received excellent feedback from M&S Regional Marketing Manager & Director of Press & PR at VOGUE. The lesson M&S learnt from the event was that changing the in-store dynamics changed the shoppers expectations and brand perception. This resulted in higher interest levels & footfall and increased sales. M&S reported a 15% uplift in sales on the week after the evening event. It was yet another success for us, helping our client reach its PR and branding objectives through our corporate event management services.