A new trend in marketing is what I
would call All-Encompassing Marketing.
It surrounds you and transports you all while promoting a brand. Let’s
take a look at, for example, Target. A few years ago they teamed up with
sister-store Marshall Fields and took over a lovely home for sale in Tribeca.
Furnishing it from top to toe, they showcased how one could do so too with ease
and all from their stores. Then there was the Ebay apartment, on Sutton Place
no less, where each designer transformed a room with everything bought on Ebay
and within a budget I’m sure they weren’t used to. Target is at it again with
it’s Bullseye Inn in Bridgehampton, Long Island. And you can’t get more trendy
than the Hamptons can you?
The lovely, friendly and very
knowledgeable ladies from Kaplow Communications escorted journalists from
Manhattan via charter buses. During our leisure-trip we watched an Indie show
and enjoyed snacks, water and games from our goody bags. As we approached the
historical home, circa 1811, and former antique store, the Bullseye Inn was the
quintessential picture of Quaint, complete with flashing red spotlights and
white Target logos projected on its exterior.
Walking up the driveway we could
check out one of the two new Mercedes-Benz “smart cars” (also covered in Target
logos). When these hit the Target stores in 2006, they’ll be scootin’ off the
assembly line for sure! Next to the cars
was the famous Target dog, also with the trademarked red logo around his eye, welcoming
guests.
After checking-in we were escorted
to the front porch, which led out to the tent-covered front lawn where guests
dined at a raw bar, a gourmet “soup-shot” station and ice-cream cart.
Delicious-looking male waiters whisked white platters of delectable
savories--mini burgers, oyster ‘po-boys’ and “a log of ants” (raisins in peanut
butter on celery!)--to tempt you too.
The lawns were sprinkled with beds,
tables and chairs decorated with panache that created perfectly pleasing places
to plop down.
Kaplow PR senior vice president Tina
Haskins, in a lovely aqua trench coat with blue-hued dress and shell earrings
that echoed the night’s theme, gave several of us a tour. All the rooms were
created by design partners Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig, Rachel Ashwell,
Isaac Mizrahi, Sean Conway, Amy Coe and Liz Lange.
To quote Emeril Lagasse, all I can
say is, “Bam!” The walls were bold! Bam! The merchandising was slick! Bam! It
was all so bam fun! Brightly colored flower-and-dots wallpaper cascaded along
the hallway walls, and to the left was a bold black and white
Victorian-inspired garden room selling tureens, topiaries and other garden
accoutrements.
Upstairs Cynthia Rowley and Shabby
Chic’s Rachell Ashwell mixed an intoxicating concoction of patterns and pieces.
The dining room was a study in Floral. The sitting room – a study in Floral and
Bullseye.
Of course, the ladies (and men!)
loved stepping into the bathroom where a most divine modern David lounged in an
old-fashioned claw-footed porcelain bathtub filled with ping-pong balls. Upon
questioning, he said, “they’re actually a bit massaging!”
Our Princess-and-a-Pea snuck away
from her eight-tiered Shabby Chic bed when we sauntered into the
bedroom—perchance to catch some real winks?
Even the pictures adorning the walls
didn’t escape a Target bullseye.
Strategically placed, of course, was the “check-out” room, at the exit
of the tour. What you couldn’t carry home could be delivered and the more
“precious” non-Target items like chandeliers will be for sale on the last day
of the Bullseye Inn’s existence, July 4th, in a tag sale.
What you could carry home was an
original Issac Mizrahi-designed bold yellow and pink polka-dotted canvas bag,
filled with more goodies including a disposable camera and Target playing
cards! Even guests like football star Boomer Esiason wasn’t cautious of the
fashionable carry-all.
With a hot Presidential
race ahead of us this year, here are two sites that can not only provide
information, but fantastic tidbits to toss out as cocktail conversation at
serious dinner parties!
Jim Harper of
PolicyCounsel.Com, Privacilla.org and WashingtonWatch.com writes in that this
site tracks federal legislation with a new angle: you get to find out how much
new federal laws will cost you. It’s
been said that laws are like sausages: you’re better off if you don’t see them
made — but at least you should be able to learn the price! Get all the gory
details at: http://www.washingtonwatch.com
Curious about who gives what to whom? Check out
FundRace.org where names, addresses and occupations of contributors and their
amounts to presidential candidates are listed:
http://www.fundrace.org/moneymap.php
http://www.fundrace.org/moneymap.php
We
all know networking is a key to generating business. Kate Hartnick Elliot of
Hartnick Consulting commented in the recent “Crains NY” May 24, 2004 article,
“Office suite talk pleases business” that “people tend to congregate” in those
incubator-office-suites that cater as a stepping stone for professionals before
having their own NYC-high-priced-rent-office. See all the benefits of these
suites, and more of Kate’s comments at: http://www.crainsny.com/
