• by Bonnie Barest , November 24, 2008

Here is the latest in a series of guest columns written by media agency executives about a recent media campaign that was much enjoyed, but not created in-house at their agency. Are you buzzing about a recent campaign and interested in sharing it with the class? Anyone interested in contributing a future column canemail me -- Amy Corr, Media Creativity writer

This season's fashion bite was not a new denim jean or a patent leather handbag, but a premium biscuit. Yes, a cookie with French heritage, elegant design, quality ingredients (pure butter, enrobed in deep, rich European chocolate: LU Biscuits (from Kraft Foods).

How surprised was I to see that a sponsor of Fashion Week events was not a fashion or beauty brand, but rather LU Biscuits. What a clever way to marry style and fine taste -- two of my favorite passions, chocolate and clothes.

LU commissioned three designers to create sketches of dresses inspired by the iconic cookies. This program was announced with an advertorial spread in the September issue of Elle magazine. Readers could vote online at a specially designed elle.com microsite for their favorite designs and be entered into the LU Style Award Sweepstakes. One winner received a trip to New York to attend a special fashion show, while the designer with the most votes received the LU Style Award and the opportunity to present his or her collection, featuring at least three outfits inspired by LU, during Fashion Week.

Participants selected Walter Baker, a favorite designer of Hillary Duff, Mandy Moore and Rosario Dawson, to present his collection at Fashion Week. Bloggers like Dee, of Dee-lightful, shared their reactions to Baker's s collection with their online communities: "My favorite from the collection was the outfit inspired by LU Biscuits," she wrote. "Walter's look consisted of a light yellow V-neck blouse and scalloped brown silk skirt topped with a metallic belt at the waist. This outfit struck me with its simplicity, yet detail, and I loved that the scalloped skirt was meant to look like the scalloped edging of the LU Biscuit."

Over 7,500 fashion enthusiasts attended the STYLE360 show. At an after-party at Bloomingdale's the next night, attendees had the opportunity to bid on Baker's custom-created LU-inspired outfits. Even cast members from the "Real Housewives of NY" turned out for this fun event. And the STYLE 360 show received great press coverage in the New York Post.

For those of us, like me, lucky enough to go to the New York shows during Fashion Week, we had the opportunity to sample LU Biscuits at the LU Lounge, a posh space in the tents. Here, we also learned more about LU's partnership with fashion designer Erin Fetherston. Soon we'll be able to take some of Erin's designs from the Runway to the "real way" when Fetherston's limited edition packaging outfits LU Biscuits on our local grocery shelves early next year.

While some fashion critics believe the presence of supermarket-friendly brands could hurt the credibility of Fashion Week, many of us in the marketing world think the halo for LU was a clever move. LU's a fashionable product -- it's from Paris, the home of haute couture, it's made of exquisite ingredients, and it's quite stylish.

Will a Fashion Week sponsorship help drive awareness for this chic biscuit among discriminating cookie lovers?

AbsoLUtely!