• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, June 2, 2008

Brands looking to sweep consumers off their feet to escape the recession, global warming and the war in Iraq might want to take a closer look at Carrie Bradshaw and friends.

"Sex and the City" is poised to become the new Depression Era feel-good movie that makes cash registers ring in shopping malls and along Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive. Such films tend to make consumers feel upbeat and not overly cautious about spending, according to marketing experts.

As did the TV show that spawned it, the movie will "absolutely" cause a lift in fashion sales, according to Robert Passikoff, president of New York-based marketing firm Brand Keys. "You have to consider the value in [being] a woman who feels better about herself and how she looks and interacts with the world in a great pair of shoes," he says.

Well-known and -loved characters in movies have a way of driving sales for products and services. While Fedora sales rise each time an "Indiana Jones" sequel is released, Passikoff says, the opposite also occurs. Undershirt sales declined after men noticed that actor Clark Gable didn't wear one, adds Amy Shea, Brand Keys EVP.

During the run of "Sex and the City" on TV, even women who couldn't afford Jimmy Choo shoes bonded to an image that had them skipping lunch for two months so they could buy them. In one TV show episode, Sarah Jessica Parker's character is about to lose her apartment and she recognizes that $40,000 went into buying shoes.

Faith Popcorn, a trend spotter and founder of marketing consultancy BrainReserve, believes the "Sex and the City" movie comes at the perfect time for a nation exhausted politically, emotionally and financially. Marketers can use the good feeling gained from the movie to their advantage, she says, helping consumers temporarily escape tough times. The movie joins "My Man Godfrey," "The Women" and other Depression Era classics that provided weary audiences with high-style fantasy relief.

Look for Americans to embrace and buy merchandise related to pre-Sept. 11 nostalgia across many product lines and services as a way to weather tough times, Popcorn says. "Sex and the City" could infuse a kick into the high-end merchandise and fashion industry, from Mercedes and Porsche to Dolce & Gabbana and Jimmy Choo. The fashions Carrie Bradshaw wears will become more in demand, she predicts.

Take the sky-blue Manolo Blahniks with a silver buckle that were custom made by the designer for the movie. Copies of that shoe go on sale at the Manolo New York store June 9. Whether by design or coincidence, Popcorn says, "Sex and the City" hits a need at exactly the right time.