Old Navy’s SuperModelquins have made superstars of Fusion Specialties’ mannequins, while generating a pretty stellar bottom line for Fusion as well. Although the “actors” who appear in the TV spots were specially made by Patina-V (City of Industry, Calif.) to do things store mannequins don’t – like lose a finger – the 12 models that anchor displays in more than 1000 Old Navy stores were all built in Fusion’s Broomfield, Colo., factory. That’s three shifts turning out 250 Heathers, Kellys, Joshes and their friends every day for three months, airbrushing faces and creating bodies for more than 13,000 SuperModelquins – the largest single order in the company’s history.
Fusion has been providing mannequins for Old Navy and its parent, Gap Inc., for years, but this order was like no other. Creative agency Crispin, Porter + Bogusky mapped out its integrated campaign for TV spots, in-store displays and more just after Thanksgiving 2008. It provided Fusion with 3-D computer files and prototypes of the retro-style heads designed by Hollywood effects specialist Legacy. “Those heads came to us with a very hand-painted look. We knew we had to match the look, but we obviously couldn’t hand-paint 13,000-plus characters. So we had to develop systems and procedures that would give the look and be reproducible,” says Stacie White, Fusion’s creative director. “We also had to ensure the scale and fit of each head was correct, without having time to go through trials or revisions.”
And while typical mannequins shouldn’t distract from the clothes, here they’re part of the merchandising message. “We tried to devise poses with more versatility to create some attitude. The same stance or torso position can accommodate various arm sets, for example,” says Peter Huston, Fusion’s executive vp.
Will that spark a trend? Huston thinks so. He sees SuperModelquins triggering a new interest in more realistic mannequins and a return to obvious ethnicity. He also sees – or hopes he sees – Old Navy’s family group expanding. “You have to admire Old Navy and Gap for getting really aggressive in such difficult times,” says Huston.
For a behind-the scenes look at how the SuperModelquins came into being, click here.