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Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.

August 23, 2011 by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

Sixteen months ago, a British retailer was forced to clear its shelves of teeny-weeny bikinis that came with padded bras. Why? Because the suits, sold at Primark, were aimed at 7-year-olds.

Now, in France, the company Jours Apres Lunes is advertising an online catalog that features what it calls "loungerie" for little girls. This time there's nothing especially creepy about the clothing, designed for girls aged 4 to 12. Rather, it is the way that the apparel is being marketed that has gotten a lot of people up in arms.

The child models are photographed in kittenish poses and styled with big sun glasses, hair piled high and even fake tattoos. These are little girls, second- and third-graders, as well as preteens.

We all know little girls like to play dress up. We also know moms like to play dress up, too, and mimic the styles of their 16 years olds. We live in an age of rapid age compression, and marketers have detected the scent of money in it.

But just because something is provocative doesn't mean it will sell. Nor does it make it relevant, or meaningful, to the consumer. Jours Apres Lunes' online catalog begs the question: What kind of relationship are you trying to build with your customers?

If Jours Apres Lunes can answer that question with the words "loyalty" or "long term," I wish it luck.

About Lisa Biank Fasig

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