Harper’s Bazaar Crafts 40 Pages of Edit Around Perfume Models
John Demsey, a group president of the Estée Lauder Companies, approached Harper’s Bazaar with the idea of featuring four celebrities in the magazine, who alo star in an advertising campaign for the new Estée Lauder fragrance Sensuous. Mr. Demsey said that he approached Bazaar because he thought that the varying ages of the celebrities (who are Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy and Hilary Rhoda) would be a natural tie-in with the magazine’s “Fabulous at any age” feature. And tied in they area. Ms. Paltrow appears on the cover, the four appear in a lengthy editorial section about fall fashions. The issue is held up by some as a marketing coup and by others as a sell-out. But it certainly is evidence that cosmetic companies are now treating their product introductions like movie premieres. Advertisements for the new perfume will run in Harpers Bazaar issues later this year. (Page introducing the fall fashions section featuring the four celebrities appears at left.) The New York Times (June 29, 2008)
Tags: Carolyn Murphy, Elizabeth Hurley, Estée Lauder Companies, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harper's Bazaar, Hearst, Hilary Rhoda, John Demsey, Sensuous