Mark Ecko is Seeing Red with $5M Effort Aimed at Hip-Hop/Skate Set - Brief Article

Brandweek, May 14, 2001 by Sandra Dolbow

Mark Ecko, the 29-year-old celeb designer whose signature red rhino is an icon among the hip-hop and skateboard set, hopes to keep credibility with that group via a provocative $5 million fall campaign.

The effort comes as Ecko steps up to compete with other urban brands like Sean Jean, Enyce and Fubu, which are enjoying the category's overall expansion.

"Ecko clearly recognizes how competitive the marketplace has been. We've seen dozens of new hip-hop brands within the past few years," said Richard Leonard, vp of the Zandl Group, a New York-based consultancy.

Ecko's campaign, developed in-house, features red-hued ads with provocative images. One shows a TV that has exploded and there are shards of glass on the floor beside a pair of men's shoes.

"I'm trying to communicate angst as something that binds pretty much all of us as young consumers, and breaking things and breaking the rules," explained Ecko. "Why do ads have to be shiny and glossy? This is the antithesis of that."

The campaign incorporates all Ecko product lines-men's, women's, footwear, outerwear and accessories--or the first time. In the past each collection was advertised separately

Also new in the marketing portfolio: a quarterly in-house magazine slated for a fall debut.

The campaign will run in about 40 books.

"We keep going deeper and deeper with it," said Jim Anfuso, creative director, marketing. "We can tell the whole story."