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1
Once upon a time, every cosmetic ad used words
like “shimmering,” “glimmering,” and “gleam.” Deep.
Then, looking into the mirror, Lois Korey realized that
inside their customers’ pretty heads were brains. Ones that thought
about a lot of things other than shimmer, glimmer, and gleam.
And so, with partner Allen Kay looking over her shoulder,
she wrote the headline, “What rocks the cradle, runs a business,
prepares a meal, signs a lease, parks a Porsche? Hands.”
A new kind of fashion advertising was born. A style that
recognized its audience as three dimensional women who live
360º lives. And spoke to them as such.
2
We took the experience we gained working on
brands that ranged from Alexandra de Markoff to Yves St.
Laurent with us when we founded Korey Kay & Partners.
And it served our beauty and fashion clients well.
When Halston Fragrances hired our newly-formed
agency, trade papers labeled Halston as “an endangered
species.”
Taking on the challenge to rejuvenate the brand,
we created a campaign giving the fragrance a naughty
but nice air. (What could be naughtier than “original sin”
or nicer than an apple a day? Available to all at Halston
fragrance counters.)
The first year’s effort reversed Halston’s annual sales
results from -5.4% to +7%. And won the award for the Best
Fragrance Revival from The Fragrance Foundation.
3
The campaign was so successful that the single bottle...
became a couple.
The couple became...
4
...a ménage à trois.
Which soon grew into...
9
Korey Kay turned that around, positioning Almay as
a fabulous beauty product that wouldn’t upset even the most
sensitive skin.
Along with a high score, it resulted in high sales
– the best two years in Almay’s history. Sales up 44%.
5
...a fragrance orgy.
6
Then Halston’s resurgence called for a new signature
scent.
And we were back to woman one.
7
The success of Halston attracted another renowned designer
to Korey Kay. Oscar de la Renta.
He hired us to introduce his new signature fragrance
to the world.
The perfume bottle had its own remarkable signature:
a Lalique crystal flower stopper.
We joined several of the crystals to form a necklace.
And used it as the focal point of the introductory ad.
The headline expressed Mr. de la Renta’s love and
respect for women. “Experience the power of femininity.”
Following in Halston’s footsteps, Oscar’s new entry
won The Fragrance Foundation award for Best Fragrance
Introduction of the Year.
8
Our success with Halston also brought its sister
company, Almay, to our door. At that time Almay was doing
very well, but their research told them they should be doing
better.
Their customers said they were attracted to the product
because of its packaging. When asked about Almay’s
advertising, the respondents responded, “What advertising?”
All Almay executives could see was $10 million a
year going down the tubes.
At that point, Almay challenged three agencies to
create a commercial that would be off the charts in a Burke
on-air test. Our spot left the others in the dust, and brought
Almay to our agency.
Our marketing strategy was simple. Until then, Almay’s
advertising was treated like a medicinal product that you
could use as makeup.
10
Sometimes the way to a man’s closet is through his
woman.
When we found out that 40% of Members Only
jackets were bought by girlfriends or wives for their boyfriends
or husbands, we slanted the client’s “Anti-drug” campaign
to women.
It didn’t make a fashion statement, but an impactful
statement just the same.
11
Korey Kay hasn’t won all of its accounts in the
traditional way. Especially not Dubey & Schaldenbrand.
While searching for a new wristband for his wife’s watch,
Allen Kay met Ken Grazi, the founder of Kenjo, a store
specializing in high-end watches.
Allen was attracted to a Dubey & Schaldenbrand
watch and bought it. Mr. Grazi told Allen that he was the
North American distributor for the brand. And, so far,
Kenjo was the only store that sold it.
After discussing the various difficulties in promoting
a high-end Swiss brand in a market flooded with high-end
Swiss brands, Allen took out an index card and created
the first Dubey ad on the spot. That was all it took.
THISWATCHHASBEENTESTED
TO100METERS.REMEMBER,
YOUHAVE NOT.
www.pktime.com 888-618-3925
12
Two years later, Dubey & Schaldenbrand, with its
distinctive, irreverent advertising, is carried by 63 stores
around the country and is featured in its own case at
Tourneau in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The New York Times wrote a feature story on the
campaign, centering on the unusual media approach.
Each ad is written specifically for the publication it’s in.
BEWARE:THEBELLMANWILLEXPECTABIGGERTIP.
www.pktime.com 888-919-8463/212-397-1662
13
The Stuart Weitzman Story:
Korey Kay was hired by Stuart Weitzman (the person) to
position Stuart Weitzman (the shoes) and advertise Stuart Weitzman
(the flagship store).
The retail advertising was so successful, we were
given the mission of creating a magazine campaign to establish
Stuart Weitzman (the brand).
With an eye toward global expansion, we came up with
a concept that drew upon the international language of pictures
to tell the story.
The campaign launched with the first 16” x 21” poster
ever to appear in a magazine. The series bonds the designer to his
upscale customers in one significant area — their obsession with shoes.
Each ad depicts another view of the world as seen by
Stuart Weitzman, where something always seems to be in the
shape of a shoe.
These offbeat series, directed to be “strictly image” by
Stuart Weitzman (the designer), did something which was
unanticipated by Stuart Weitzman (the businessman).
They helped him expand to 70+ stores from Athens
to Zapopan.
14
S mall space newspaper.
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The world according to Stuart Weitzman..
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Then there’s boots...
PERFECT FOR HIKING. THE HIMALAYAS.OR MADISON AVENUE.
GORE-TEX BOOTS BYSTUART WEITZMAN. GUARANTEED
TO KEEP YOU DRY.®
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