Exploiting the Archive (Including Case Studies)
Case Study: London Fashion Week
Louise Goldin's paper dress. Image courtesy of Coutts & Co.
Company:
Coutts & Co
Sector:
Banking
Impact:
Brand knowledge & marketing
Project Brief:
To support Coutts' 2010 sponsorship of London Fashion Week by highlighting historical connections with clothing, fabrics and fashion-related trades such as dressmaking and tailoring. Coutts sponsored a new designer, Louise Goldin, to design a dress. This was made of 100-year-old paper and the archives were asked to provide background on how paper had featured in the banks 300-year history. We were also asked to display archive material for clients and online fashion journalists when Coutts entertained them at specific events during London Fashion Week in September.
Sponsor:
Anna Lane, Global Head of Marketing
Timescale:
February September 2010
Business archives used by the team:
- Details of past customer accounts relating to tailoring, dressmaking, staymaking, breeches making, millinery etc
- Letters between members of the Coutts family mentioning interest in fashion, and details of their fashion preferences and purchases
- Eighteenth century bills for clothing and accessories
- General banking records reflecting the role of paper in the business, including signature books, cheques signed by famous clients, letters from famous clients and writing equipment and stationery items used by clerks
Outcomes and business benefit:
- The fashion bloggers event generated tweets about Coutts' history as well as on Louise Goldin's innovative dress design
- Clients invited to London Fashion Week catwalk shows were thrilled to see unique items from Coutts' past
- A fashion-related display in the reception area of Coutts' 440 Strand building reached clients visiting for meetings or doing general banking
- Coutts' 300-year heritage added depth and interest to a modern-day sponsorship