Marc Jacobs casts ‘real people’ from Instagram and Twitter selfies for global push

Marc Jacobs is using real people plucked from its Instagram and Twitter fanbase to front its global advertising campaign.

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Marc Jacobs has replaced models for social media fans in its latest advertising campaign.

The fashion house has ditched the casting portfolios and high-profile models used for previous campaigns to give its latest adverts for its Fall 2014 range a social media twist. Nine fans appear in the ads, which will debut in the Teen Vogue August issue, after being narrowed down from more than 70,000 who applied to the open casting call in April.

Hopeful contestants were asked to post a photo of themselves on Instagram or Twitter with the #castmemarc hashtag. Some 30 finalists were then flown from all over the world, including Australia, New York and Russia, to demonstrate their potential in front of Jacobs. Images and behind-the-scenes videos of the casting and fashion shoot will run on the brand’s site.

The campaign’s unusual casting method aims to reflect the rebellious nature of the range, which the designer describes as “credible” but “dynamic and fresh”.

Marc Jacobs is one of a number of fashion companies looking to exploit digital channels to make their brands feel more inclusive. Burberry will relaunch its mobile site later this year as well as deepen its ties to third party retailers such as Amazon. The business credited a 12 per cent sales lift in its latest quarter to more targeted marketing initiatives.

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