LOS ANGELES, Jul 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — People’s Liberation, Inc. , designer of high-end casual apparel under the brand names People’s Liberation(TM) and William Rast(TM), today announced an innovative marketing campaign for the William Rast(TM) brand. The “My Name Is William Rast” campaign will feature fictional film clips starring multifaceted brand co-founder Justin Timberlake, who also co-directed, co-wrote and scored the movie clips.
The campaign will be rolled out in the U.S. on three platforms: print, outdoor and - as the campaign’s centerpiece - in a series of film excerpts that will be released virally during the summer. Designed as movie posters, the print ads in leading fashion magazines and outdoor billboards in key U.S. cities will mirror the film’s concept.
The online premier of the campaign will take place at williamrastmovie.com, in conjunction with the launch of the redesigned website, where visitors can experience the full campaign, as well as view the denim and ready-to-wear collections.
Management has high expectations for the campaign to further spur sales of the premium apparel brand. “In these film clips, Justin plays an accomplished rebel, a complex modern-day hero with an edgy sense of style,” commented Colin Dyne, CEO of People’s Liberation. “Set in Tennessee, the story of William Rast and his girlfriend Birdie, played by model Erin Wasson, is told from the vantage point of the title character. Rast rebels against the conformity of everyday life, and Birdie is a strong woman with an unabashed sense of confidence. Besides being partners in crime, the two are soul mates.”
“With this campaign, our goal is to create major buzz around the name and the brand of William Rast(TM),” Mr. Dyne continued. “Getting opinion leaders to talk and blog about the exciting and sometimes provocative film clips means that fans of Justin and of William Rast(TM) will be spreading the word.”
William Rast(TM) is the premium denim and lifestyle brand conceptualized and founded by business partners Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala. Marcella and Johan Lindeberg of Paris 68, brought on board to design the brand’s first complete men and women’s ready to wear collections, developed the campaign concept. An unconventional team of film, commercial and music video professionals collaborated in bringing the character of William Rast to life, including co-director Jonas Akerlund, who used 16 millimeter film for a raw, dark and sexy feel that is aligned with the title character’s personality.
ABOUT PEOPLE’S LIBERATION(TM) AND WILLIAM RAST(TM)
Los Angeles-based People’s Liberation designs, markets and sells premium contemporary apparel under the brand names People’s Liberation(TM) and William Rast(TM). The clothing consists of premium denim, knits, wovens and outerwear for men and women. The William Rast(TM) brand is 50% jointly owned by the Company and superstar Justin Timberlake, with creative direction by the highly regarded design consultancy of Johan and Marcella Lindeberg for the William Rast(TM) Collection. The Company distributes its merchandise to better domestic department stores and boutiques, including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Fred Segal. Outside the U.S., its products are sold directly and through distributors to better department stores and boutiques in 16 nations. The Company also sells merchandise on its websites www.peoplesliberation.com and www.williamrast.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are inherently unreliable and actual results may differ materially.
An example of forward looking statements in this news release include statements regarding expected marketing success related to the forthcoming film clips to be posted online at WilliamRastMovie.com. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the Company’s ability to maintain customer and strategic business relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Company’s liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, and other information that may be detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: People’s Liberation, Inc.
