J.Crew is using Sasha and Malia Obama to market some of its spring and summer styles

[masuki bance]

As Seen On: Michelle Obama Wears J.Crew In Vogue

http://stylebakery.com/celebstyle/index.html?page=11
Michelle Obama forgoes expensive designers and wears head-to-toe J.Crew for a photo in the March issue of Vogue.

Profiting off the Obamas
J. Crew hawks first daughter clothes

By CAROL E. LEE

J.Crew is using Sasha and Malia Obama to market some of its spring and summer styles, in a press release sent to reporters Monday afternoon titled "The Obama Girls Bring Some American Style to Moscow."

"Malia & Sasha wore J.Crew and crewcuts as they exited Air Fore One in Moscow — stylish in their trenches, they also accessorized with ballet flat shoes," the release says.

The notice includes two photographs of Sasha and Malia deplaning Air Force One with their parents and an image of the J.Crew logo.


It also offers details about the specific items each of the Obama daughters wore on the way to Moscow and after their arrival, including the prices and style numbers for each piece.

Malia, for instance, was sporting the Silk Taffeta Trench ($298) and black satin ballet flats with contrast trim ($98), the e-mail notes. Whereas Sasha, 8, was wearing the girls’ crushed twill trench ($169.99) and girls’ minna printed ballet flats in classic navy ($108).

In the past, first lady Michelle Obama has publicly credited J.Crew a number of times for designing her duds, including the yellow sweater-set and skirt she famously wore on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” during the campaign. And the company took credit for creating the coats and gloves the first daughters wore during the Inauguration.

The press release marks one of the few times the Obama girls, whose public appearances the president and first lady keep tightly controlled, have been highlighted in a marketing campaign to sell specific products or labels.

Earlier this year, the first lady smacked down the company that makes Beanie Babies for modeling two new dolls after her daughters: Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.

"We believe it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," Michelle Obama's spokeswoman said in a statement at the time, and the company pulled them from the shelves.

The first lady's office did not immediately respond to an e-mail asking if Michelle Obama had approved the marketing materials. Heather Lynch McAuliffe, the vice president of J.Crew public relations, said the White House did not approve the release before she sent it.

The first family is traveling abroad this week, as President Barack Obama meets with leaders in Russia, at the G-8 Summit in Italy and then in Ghana.

Moscow is the first stop, and according to J.Crew, Sasha and Malia Obama dressed for the occasion as follows:

Malia’s J.Crew designs:
• Silk Taffeta Trench (14968, $298, Buff)
• Satin Ballet Flats With Contrast Trim (16028, $98, Black)

Sasha’s crewcuts designs:
• Girls’ Crushed Twill Trench (13100, $169.99, Buff)
• Girls’ Minna Printed Ballet Flats (16344, $108, Classic Navy)

** They also wore J.Crew and crewcuts flats when boarding the plane stateside — Malia wore our J.Crew Margorie Satin Ballet Flats (15933, $98) and Sasha wore our Girls’ Minna Crackle-Metallic Ballet Flats (16341, $108, Metallic Gold)

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0709/profiting_off_the_obamas_29066b65-8269-431d-93c7-98c4dcb777cf.html

Get ready for a smackdown Heather.

[lindisfarne]

1. No smackdown. But J Crew will become less prominent.J crew might decide Heather should not be VP

[Arkana]

2. I don't think Michelle will like the girls being used as marketing tools.

[CoffeeCat]

3. I used to write press releases for a living...

...and I can't even imagine doing something as sleazy, self serving and idiotic as this.

Michelle Obama has stated that she didn't want her children used for marketing purposes. So, obviously, this
will be very unwelcome and Michelle Obama will have something to say about it, as she should.

I've sent out hundreds of press releases on behalf of clients such as Disney, NASA, Mattel, Pfizer and many
other Fortune 100 companies. You don't say "boo!" unless every person/company mentioned in every release has
signed off. You get written permission, then you follow up with a phone call. I usually had 20 people
who had to approve each press release.

What's really ironic here, is that the person who did this is a Vice President of Public Relations--and she
just created a big PR problem for her company that could severely backfire and affect sales and the stockholders.

This woman is completely unprofessional and reckless.

[asphalt.jungle]

4. and it's completely unnecessary.

If sleazy and self-serving accomplishes something that couldn't have been achieved through other means I could at least understand it, but it will get out soon enough that they were wearing j.crew. Just like it got out that they were wearing j.crew at the inauguration, they didn't need to issue sleazy press releases then and their web servers crashed.