FHM inks P&G digital sponsorship deal
P&G has inked a sponsorship deal with Bauer Media which will see every editorial page of FHM fashion spin-off Collections carry Lacoste fragrance branding.
In what the publisher is claiming a ’world first’, every page of the twice yearly men’s glossy fashion spin-off will carry an invisible watermark which will offer further info, shopping opportunities and offers when viewed with a smartphone.
Each editorial page watermark will carry Lacoste Fragrances branding around the extra content, which will include opportunities to buy and share on social media.
All brands advertising in the issue published on 1 September will also carry watermarked content.
Lacoste’s apparel is also being featured across nine pages of the title – FHM Collections Autumn Winter 2011 – to showcase its Unconventional Chic collection. Other fashion brands being featured include Next, Levi’s, Paul Smith, Diesel, Lee and House of Fraser.
The title was resurrected by Bauer two years ago following a three year hiatus. The move to tap into cutting edge digital augmentation technology follows Conde Naste’s announcement it is to launch an iPad app for its glossy monthly GQ, a rival to FHM.
Alongside other so-called ’lads’ titles, FHM has seen its circulation drop in recent year. Its readership had dropped by 23.3% 177,261 in the most recent ABC report, which showed more specialist men’s titles focused on tech or fitness were managing to hold on to readers.
Commenting on the Lacoste FHM Collections partnership P&G Prestige manager AnnMarie Humphries, who brokered the deal alongside media buying agency MediaCom with Bauer, says the move fits with Lacoste’s ’innovative’ brand history.
“[The sponsorship deal] was perfect for this type of innovative technology due to the brand’s innovative history and founder Rene Lacoste who was always been at the forefront of cutting edge technology.
The Lacoste fragrance consumer is a digital focused guy and lives and breathes his life online,” she adds.
