Fashion Advertising is a section within the advertising field, focusing mainly on the promotion of fashion in the fashion industry. The main goal of Fashion Advertising is to evoke the potential consumer to either buy their product or be exposed to the brand. Advertisements want to get the consumer intrigued and excited about the clothes in the ad, making them want to buy the clothes.
As an advertiser, fashion advertisements have specific things that need to be included in the ad; the company or store logo, the clothing, and a backdrop (plan white or a set background). One of my personal favourite promotional campaigns for the clothing company, Mulberry, was a promotional video that featured a very interesting backdrop that complimented the clothes, which is what the perfect fashion advertisement does.
Advertising is crucial for the designer or brand, because advertising is what gets their clothes out into the media. The ways to advertise for fashion is by advertising in commercials, in print (such as magazines or newspapers), billboards and editorials. Another way designers get their fashion out there is by celebrity endorsements, either in the ad or wearing the clothing at special events/red carpets. Fashion advertisements also promotes a lifestyle, such as this advertising campaign for Alexander Wang.
When promoting a specific lifestyle with the product, the consumer feels that when they buy the product, they will be apart of a certain group within a lifestyle who also has that product. Different brands/stores/companies will want different tones to their advertisements, depending on what target they are trying to market; wealthy market vs. middle class market.
For more information, watch eHow's video on Careers in Fashion:
I believe fashion advertising is the best possible way for designers to either get their name out in the industry, or to sell products. There are so many mediums in which fashion advertisements can take place, such as magazines, television commercials, endorsements by celebrities, and by Out of Home advertising, such as transit shelters.
