Playful Promises Presents: The Product of a Mischievous Mind
Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Playful Promises.
More than ever before, the lingerie industry is completely obsessed with what's "safe." Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with playing it safe, but the unfortunate truth is that "safe" very often looks like "boring." Boring lingerie. Boring ad campaigns. Boring websites. When everyone's afraid of taking even the smallest risk, things start to look the same very quickly, and there's nothing duller than a sea of carbon copies.
Yet there's a bright spot in all this. A bit of glitter in an ocean of gray. London-based lingerie company Playful Promises is bucking both trend and tradition with their latest (and appropriately playful) ad campaign, titled "The Product of a Mischievous Mind."
Like many people, I grew up reading such celebrated authors as Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and Elizabeth Gaskell. Their words transported me to another time and place, a way of living and being as foreign to me as my lifestyle today would be to them. But language changes, and the meanings behind many of the words these authors used have also changed. Read today, with modern connotations, certain quotes sound quite a bit more... risque. And in a truly British display of lighthearted irreverence, Playful Promises toys with those suggestive double meanings, turning sentences from these works of classic literature into a bit of naughty fiction - at least if your mind is mischievous enough.
In the company’s own words, the new campaign is ‘playful, flirty and even a little bit dirty,' which certainly ties in perfectly to their products. The concept also extends to their packaging and promotional materials, including a truly editorial-worthy ad campaign which is featured in Look Magazine this month.
When asked for more details about the campaign, Emma Parker, the Founder of Playful Promises, had this to say:
‘The timing of this collaboration was perfect for us since the recession there have been fewer boutiques to sell to and the ones that are buying are taking safer options making sure they are well stocked with white/black and beige bras. As a brand we spent a lot of time trying to be more commercial but in reality we are a more sexy brand and the pieces that sell well for us are the more daring pieces.
Because of this we have decided to focus more on our own retail site, as well as those special retailers who understand our brand, to not worry so much about being commercial and instead to do more of what is actually my favourite kind of lingerie design – the sexy stuff. It seems to be working as when we re-introduced our ‘ouvert’ briefs it has been one of our best selling lines ever!"
Apart from loving Emma's frankness (people are rarely this forthcoming about what's happening behind the scenes), I also admire her creativity and willingness to experiment. There's a tendency, sometimes, to think of lingerie as serious business. However, there's an undeniably whimsical element to these little bits of satin and lace as well, and "The Product of a Mischievous Mind" captures that spirit perfectly.
The images shown here are just a small sample. I highly recommend visiting mischievousmind.com to see the entire campaign. And if you prefer videos, definitely take a look at the short films below:
What do you think of the Mischievous Mind campaign? Does it inspire you to be more daring?
