My Butt is Big

Nike, for decades, has inspired anyone with a body to be an athlete. Nike praises individuals who make working out and getting fit a part of everyday life. In today's society people are obsessed with how their bodies look and people take extreme mesures to get a slim figure, especially women. But who can blame them? Most advertisements we see today are filled with stick skinny models; none of the ads showcase what an average woman's body looks like. This sends a message to all women that they need to be that skinny to be beautiful. Due to this, more than 24 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders , according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). The ANAD surveyed women on a college campus and found that 91 percent had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 

Nike doesn't want any part of that. Nike wants to inspire women to embrace who they are, especially those with large behinds. To promote its new butt-enhancing shoe, Nike created this "my butt is big" campaign. The text on the ad gives a powerful voice to those who have a curvy figure, and that voice was well-received.Crystal Smith, writer for salon.com, was impressed with this ad. She said: "When I read the first line of their little poem -- "My butt is big and round like the letter C" -- I instantly climbed on-board. It sounds like Nike is praising curves and telling women that if someone has problem with your shape they can kiss your ass -- and what's wrong with finding strength in an asset others might not think is beautiful? What's wrong with acknowledging that big butts draw attention and that, no, lunges don't do a damn thing but give it more shape. Nike is headed in the right direction." 

I think Nike did a wonderful job of communicating a message to this specific group of women and to everyone else. Nike is sending out a message that being bigger can be empowering. I think that this type of campaign is needed in today's society. It is refreshing to open up a magazine and see a body that is not stick thin and that is closer to the size of an average American woman. Nike inspires healthy bodies by pushing people to be active and it’s also inspiring people to have a healthy outlook on their bodies and the bodies of others. Every woman is made different, and inspiring women to accept who they are and what their body looks like is an incredible thing. 

Oh Lola! Did Marc Jacobs Make a PR Uh-Oh?

For years Marc Jacobs' advertisements have been synonymous with words such as "edgy" "provocative" and "artistic." These ads fit the image Marc Jacobs seeks to portray in the fashion world, a world that is constantly pushing the envelope. But is this good public relations? Negative publicity, as well as racy advertisements, damage the name of the brand, and as a PR practitioner I would not want to be placed in that category. 

I wonder if Marc Jacobs is hoping that "no publicity is bad publicity" after controversy followed his 2011 perfume campaign featuring 17-year-old Dakota Fanning. It all started on Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority banned the Oh Lola! fragrance ad because it felt the image was too provocative for a minor.

ASA stated: "We considered that the length of her dress, her leg and position of the perfume bottle drew attention to her sexuality. Because of that, along with her appearance, we considered the ad could be seen to sexualise a child. We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offence." 

Artistically edgy or not, I think the Marc Jacobs PR team failed in terms of public relations. Fashion tends to push the limits and comfort levels of the public, but it would be the duty of the PR team to ensure that it was not going overboard. Having publications pull your advertisements due to complaints from readers would constitute going overboard. 

Also, who was this ad trying to reach? Considering the product, a high end perfume for women, my guess is that the target market is upper-middle class women ages 16 to 30. How does this demographic react to the ad? Being in that target market myself, and a consumer of Marc Jacobs perfume, I find the advertisement uncomfortable. It makes me question the standards and social responsibility of this company that would try and sexualize a minor this way. 

5 Tips for Purposeful Pinning

Pinterest is a website where you can create theme-based image collections through social photo sharing. Since March 2011, this site has become “the hottest start-up…in Silicon Valley” according to the Wall StreetJournal. Pinterest is designed to inspire its users through images to create multiple “pinboards” of things they like and categorize them by themes (e.g., my style, home décor, wedding, photography).

In terms of PR, Pinterest can be a great curation tool for visual thinkers to express their plans and ideas for customers and clients. "It's a good way to show an aesthetic vision, " said Crosby Noricks, founder of PR Couture." Instead of explaining your vision with words, you can create a board and pin photos that illustrate your vision. Then, you can show clients and co-workers." Especially in the world of fashion and design, creating a strong visual message is key, and Pinterest can help make that happen. Users can then follow pinboards of their friends and view their collection of images. 

However, there must be a strong sense of transparency. Pinterest is not a place for self-promotion and to only pin products or images from your brand. Doing so will not help achieve any goal for building your brand and relationship with your customer. 

Here are my top 5 tips on purposeful pinning:

1. Apply the “80/20” rule. Much like promotional marketing on any other social media site your “pins” should reflect this balance of content. 80 percent of your content should be inspirational pins that would get your customer to think about your brand. 20 percent of your content can be from your brand, whether it's a product or editorial. By doing so, users will view your pin site as an inspiration, not an advertisement.

2. Let others promote. Whether you work in fashion or design, there are people that buy and use your products. Find images of those products being used in magazines, blogs or websites and pin those to your boards. For example: West Elm, an upscale retail store that sells contemporary designs and furniture, pins images from design magazines and blogs that use its products in staging photos.

3.Create a steady flow of pins. Do not overload customers' pin feed with your content. Pin regularly to keep them interested but not enough to overwhelm them.

4. Build strong board titles. A user is less likely to follow a board that is titled after a product, so get creative! Use a play on words or an alliteration to spice up the titles such as “creative curtains” or “America the beautiful”. Your title should represent the inspiration for the board, not necessarily the content.

5. Remember your purpose. You are on Pinterest to build a relationship; you are not searching to find customers. This site should be used to build your brand and inspire your customers, not join in on the noise making of advertisements and shameless self-promotion.


Pinterest can also help PR practitioners keep track of trends in the market. Following the pin boards of people that fit into your target audience can give an insightful look into what trends they are following, what sparks their inspiration, and what looks they are interested in. It is also a great place to try out ideas and trends to see the reactions of the users on Pinterest. Some PR practitioners even use Pinterest as a way of finding new blogs or websites that could be a potential fit for their client because every pin should relate back to an original site or blog where the image was found.

Pinterest can be used in many ways. Whether you are just looking to be inspired or are trying to make your ideas come to a visual head, Pinterest offers a wide range of opportunity for its users. PR practitioners, especially those in fashion and design, would be smart to join in on the pinning and see what it could potentially do to help their clients or brand.

Welcome to PRetty !

My name is Änna Reilly and I am a senior at the University of Oregon majoring in public relations. I am no stranger to the blog world as I have kept a fashion and lifestyle blog since 2009. I have learned a great deal from blogging and am excited to explore the world of PR blogging! I am passionate about fashion and am interested in working for a corporation that can feed my appetite for creativity and apparel. My hope for this blog is to learn more about fashion PR and expand my knowledge of the industry. 

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” — Coco Chanel