• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 10:45 AM

Kohl's advertising campaign for its new "Simply Vera Vera Wang" line of clothing, accessories and home products highlights a gamble for both the retailer and Wang.

Loosely based on "The Wizard of Oz," the eight-page print ad follows a well-dressed woman and her small dog traipsing through the forest before three fashionable women help her find her way home to Manhattan. Thirty-second broadcast versions of the ad--along with an additional 30-second spot featuring Wang talking about her design philosophy--are slated to run in September.

Kohl's will be promoting some of the most expensive merchandise on its racks. That could intimidate the retailer's core loyal shopper, who normally comes into the retailer looking for discounted or moderately priced clothing. For Wang, the association with Kohl's could tarnish her upscale image. But she says customers should be able to tell that although the high-end collection has the same DNA, "it's really, really fashion-forward."

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