Pushing the Limits: Supre

The article below entitled "Pushing the Limits" is another piece from my advertising critique magazine I created. This particular piece really needs no introduction - it is a unique yet controversial piece examining the poor brand marketing choices made by Australian retailer Supre. Out of all the critiques I researched and wrote, I felt most passionate about this topic. It won't take long to realize why when reading this piece.

The article (as designed) is seen below to give you a visual of the template and layout, all designed by me. Scroll down to read the article in plain text.

Suzy

Pushing the Limits

By: Susan Mosejczuk

In a world where body image is everything, the trend of super slim models has made the brave transformation to an appreciation for a real figure. But some retailers are still displaying their designs on super skinny mannequins and feed the notion that skinny is the only way to go. So how far is too far in the world of outdoor advertising and marketing where mannequins come complete with a fully visible rib cage and spine? Let's take a look...


Advertising faux paux
When walking down the street, not many individuals stop to pay attention to the attributes of the mannequin in the window display. For decades, the standard in the fashion industry, and for the most part still is, that clothing is made in smaller sizes, and so are the models that wear them. With recent movements to make the “real woman” more accepted in the judgmental fashion industry, designers have made their sketches available in larger sizes. That’s just the first step; runway shows are shying away from super stick thin models. All of these have been breakthroughs in the fashion industry in recent years but one problem still remains. Retailers are still using unrealistically thin mannequins in their window displays. It would be one thing to see this type of branding in high-fashion or couture, but not from your everyday “looks for less” store. The fashion felon in this circumstance? Supré stores – the market leader in Australia and New Zealand for female youth fashion with over 170 stores.
Often compared to the United States chain of Forever 21, Supré has been named Australia’s most successful retailer. For a store that sells trendy designs with a smaller price tag, you would think it would position itself to appeal to a broad market of consumers. Instead, not only do stores outfit their mannequins with tight designs but they happen to show off their ribs and bones. Coincidentally, after visiting the store a few times, their saleswomen look identical to their mannequin counterparts. Effective advertising? Certainly not. When companies such as Dove has repositioned themselves in the market to appeal to the real woman who has flaws and flaunts them, Supré has taken a step backwards.

During the movement towards embracing a curvier figure, the argument has been that it is unfair to label bigger woman as “real women”, because it hurts the self esteem of naturally thin females. It is one thing to outfit your entire window display with small mannequins. It is another when they are all contoured with a very visible ribcage and spine. Retailers rely on an elaborate window and in-store displays to attract the attention of passing consumers. This type of advertising can cost a retailer big bucks if the in-store merchandising is completed by an outside company. In order to remain on the top of the fashion chain, Supré has allocated a
significant portion of their budget to creating a precise brand image. Along with that, comes a frequently changing window display. It wasn’t until my trip to Melbourne while shopping on Collins Street that I noticed out of the corner of my eye, an army of “anorexic” mannequins in the Supré storefront.

Fashion felon: Supre

What is the purpose of this advertisement? 

Supré’s intention in using mannequins in window displays is the same as any other fashion retailer: to display clothing in the most aesthetically appealing manner that catches the attention of potential customers. The purpose succeeds greatly in any store because it is the easiest and most “in-your-face” way of advertising the designs of that particular retailer. However, by using mannequins that clearly flaunt their ribs and other bones in an unnatural manner, this becomes an ethical issue. In this scenario, the use of this outdoor marketing alters the purpose of the advertisement. Rather than just displaying clothing, this advertisement is conveying the message that the thinner, the better and some shoppers may be turned off from Supré altogether because they do not feel welcomed.
 

What is the target audience of Supré?

Situated on the busy Collins Street in Melbourne, the target audience of this Supré advertising is widespread. This offensive use of mannequins is displayed in the store front that hundreds of thousands of individuals pass on a daily basis. The sex of the target audience can be either male or female, ranging in any age, race, religion, etc. Certain assumptions, however, can be made based on the location of this particular Supré. Positioned in a bustling shopping emporium, the target audience mainly consists of three types of people. The first audience member would be a tourist visiting Melbourne on holiday, either as a part of a family trip, a weekend getaway with a partner or best friend, or an exchange student traveling Australia. Because of the popularity of Collins Street, it is safe to assume that a majority of the people walking by the Supré storefront are not actually from Melbourne, but rather just visiting and shopping. The second audience member would be a Melbourne resident and working class professional, either male or female, and probably in their mid-20s and older. The shopping district is central to the business district of Melbourne. Whether on their way to or from work or heading to a lunch date, this young professional will be exposed to the outdoor advertising of Supré. And lastly, the third audience member would an individual who enjoys recreational shopping, is probably female and a resident of Melbourne and is in their late teens to early 40s. The exposure of the Supré mannequins is vast because of its busy location and any one person that walks by, regardless of their consumer profile, becomes a part of the target audience.

What is the target market of Supré?
Out of all the individuals that pass by the Collins Street Supré, the audience is narrowed down to a very specific target market. The Supré customer is only female. She is young, ranging anywhere between 13 and 25. She is a student in high school or college and is shopping on a very specific budget, or simply enjoys a good deal. She is either from Melbourne, for this specific location, or visiting on holiday. She is young and hip and enjoys following the trends of fashion. She certainly has a good sense of fashion since Supré designs are either very simple or eclectic and either way, she has to know how to put an outfit together. The Supré shopper is also small in size, very small. Not only does their window display suggest that you have to be rail thin to fit into their designs, but the actual clothing in the stores runs very small on sizes. Therefore, the Supré shopper is athletic, in shape, or naturally of a smaller stature. Ranging in sizes from XXX small to Large, coincidentally enough, when browsing the store you will easily find an abundant amount of XXX small sizes, and maybe one, if any, larges.

What are they doing wrong? What they can do to fix it!

So why is it ineffective?

A few years ago when stick thin was “in” this would be acceptable. In today’s society with companies repositioning themselves constantly in the market as embracing women of all sizes, this type of marketing is severely ineffective and ethically wrong. Many window shoppers that walk by do not stop to notice the appearance of the mannequin, unless you are walking by as I did. A few of the mannequins had no clothing on, while the others’ clothing was so skin tight that their ribs were accentuated. Anorexic looking mannequins? Certainly ineffective. Think about all the young women who walked by of a slightly larger size and noticed those mannequins. A potential consumer now turned an emotional wreck; this type of advertising and brand appearance affects the consumer turnout for Supré. It even affected me severely – someone who had embraced the discounts that Supré offers a study abroad student on a budget. Someone like me, who is an average-size young woman, was uninvited from entering the store after witnessing the army of anorexic mannequins. And even though I am comfortable in my own skin, one glance at a mannequin with her ribs sticking out and you begin to question yourself. How sexy did I feel at that moment while on Collins Street in Melbourne? Not very sexy at all. I found myself looking up and down at every inch of my body making sure I wasn’t accidentally spilling over anywhere, because it certainly would not be in line with the Supré way.

What can the company do to avoid controversial advertising?
In a world where filing a lawsuit has become second nature, Supré needs to conform to the remainder of retail society and make their mannequins and window displays more welcoming to women of all shapes and sizes. Because of the ethical issues faced with their current mannequins, as well as the lack of size availability in-stores, the target market is very narrow as to who should actually shop at Supré. The retailer has a social responsibility and to make its impact on society positive rather than negative. Word to the wise – if Supré wants to see an increase in sales and an expansion of their target market, they need to convey the appropriate brand image. Because it is certain that portraying women as frail and made up of only sticks and bones does not make for an effective advertising campaign for your clothing designs or your brand. How hard is it really to diversify the sizes of mannequins? By adding just a few pounds here and there to a plastic statue, not only will more women feel apt to shop at the store, but you can prevent controversy and confrontation with angry shoppers who feel the same way I did during my stroll down Collins.