We are delighted that Karin Steinbrecher, Manager of the Creative department/Advertising department at PETER HAHN, is supporting us in the GoSeeAWARDS jury and that she is coming to Berlin for UPDATE16 . PETER HAHN sells to ten European countries taking an innovative multichannel approach. In addition to traditional mail-order sales and the online shop, PETER HAHN is represented in Germany and Switzerland with stationary retail outlets. The company offers a variety of over 250 brands such as Bogner, Brax, Escada, Fadenmeister Berlin, Joop, Strenesse, Lacoste, just to name a few. And with so many productions every year, the Creative department is always on the lookout for photographers and talent...
What exactly is your work in the Creative department like? How many photo and film productions do you realize every year? And how do you select photographers and the creative team?
We work with a small, but nice in-house unit, which is responsible for both creating concepts as well as for realizing them. That is, our graphics and the art buying teams at PETER HAHN develop the concepts, campaigns and all necessary print ideas independently under the supervision of our Head of Advertising. We receive textual support from our Copywriting department which is also in house. Photographers are selected together during the design process and then scouted in agreement with the Head of Advertising, the Art Buying department and my self and then finally briefed. The Fall/Winter 2016 campaign in Namibia, for example, was photographed by Stefan Indlekofer.
The remainder of the shoot team then puts together the art buying in cooperation with the photographer. We can, of course, rely on a pool of outstanding artists who know us well and can, therefore, optimally support the photographer.
We realize around 80 shoots in about 320 days and 2 TV commercial productions every year. The TV spots are developed by an external agency and tailored to our campaign idea and then also supervised. Organization of the spot internally, is taken care of by the Marketing department. Advertising plays a consulting role here. Our Fall/Winter 2016 TV spot was designed and realized by the Hamburg-based agency VSF&P.
Can you please describe your cooperation with the designers/brands? You use their campaigns, but also shoot your own campaigns and looks?
We deliberately don't use the campaigns of the brands and designers, but adapt the collection statement and make it fit our target audience.
For shoots or for filming TV spots, you travel to beautiful locations all over the world. But you particularly liked the location for the Fall/Winter campaign: Namibia. What was so special about the shoot and filming there?
The Namibia shoot was, of course, a logistical challenge. The breathtaking landscape, which is submerged in intense colors by the ever-changing lighting moods, make it possible to create unique photos. It is worth all the effort.
'Fascinating Shades of Color' is the theme of the new Autumn/Winter season with euphonic names such as powdery Winter Blossoms, Shades of Brown, Feel Murano to Forest Greens and Blue Temptation. Where did you get the idea for these colors and how did turn them into images in the Creative department?
The color ideas came from our Buying department, which was oriented upon the international fashion trends of the season when they compile the collections represented at PETER HAHN. But only the trends make it into our selection that match our target group and fulfill our standards. When realizing the collection in shoots, we only stick to the color worlds to a certain degree. We try to present our customers the products we sell with imagery that makes them w our fashion and supports the high quality, or the statement of the products.
Along with famous designer brands (fashion labels and brands), PETER HAHN also exclusively carries several labels, (such as Looxent or Fadenmeister Berlin)?
Yes we do. That includes, for example, LOOXENT and Fadenmeister Berlin. Two labels that target very different groups of customers. LOOXENT is the younger brand, trendy and sporty that loves colorful prints and comfortable cuts. And the clothing can have an extravagant detail here and there. Fadenmeister is the more classic, elegant, purist line with high standards of craftsmanship and fabrics. To underscore the collection statements, we have developed special concepts which are very different when it comes to photography, the models we choose and set construction.
Sustainability is a big issue in fashion. You even have your own sustainability officer at Peter Hahn?
Yes, we are very proud to have employed a sustainability officer at PETER HAHN since 2012. For us, sustainable business is an important part of our company philosophy. At Peter Hahn, environmentally and socially sustainable development is part of the ethical foundation and corporate strategy. Our commitment is dedicated to the areas of people, the environment and products.
Great to hear that PETER HAHN has done without furs for many years and only sells faux fur?
For many years, we consciously do without furs such as mink, fox or raccoon dog. We see this as part of our sustainable action and as a contribution to animal welfare and environmental protection. By using high-quality faux fur, we can still react to current trends. And the wonderful thing is, our customers keep encourage us in our decision with positive feedback. We are, of course, in good company with more than 400 members worldwide as a member of “Fur Free Retailer program”.
Here on GoSee, we present you the latest TV commercial which was realized by Creative Director DENNIS WERNER and Director Stephan Hadjam. And meet the team from PETER HAHN in person at UPDATE in Berlin.