A NEW TECHNIQUE: As if Vogue didn't scoop up enough fashion advertising, it continues to reach for more via its very own in-house ad agency. No doubt raising the anxiety level of some long-standing agencies, Vogue Studio has already worked with 29 brands, including Valentino, Montblanc, Cartier and Lancôme, and is the agency of record for Via Spiga and Adrienne Vittadini. These brands can certainly bring their Vogue-created ads to other publications at, say, Time Inc. or Hearst Magazines, but the partnership is anchored in Vogue, said a spokeswoman. Terri Rawson, Via Spiga's senior vice president of marketing, insisted there was no pressure to hire Vogue Studio, adding it was chosen over other agencies, "because they understood our consumer and brand so well."

The in-house agency is under publishing director Tom Florio. Deborah Cavanagh, associate publisher of creative services, said the approximately three-year-old agency competes with many big-name agencies for business and doesn't offer discounts. Its connections to photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier and Arthur Elgort, who has had a relationship with Condé Nast for more than three decades, also help attract clients. "We can spot emerging trends in fashion and culture; clients come to us for that," Cavanagh added. And the agency — and magazine — will likely get a boost when brands see the results from the new VISTA Print Effectiveness report from Affinity, that studied 33 issues of Vogue and found that the magazine ranked number one for highest overall ad recall, among the 103 magazine titles measured. The study looked at advertising recall among readers with a household income of $75,000-plus from January 2005 through September 2007.

Cavanagh said that during the next few weeks, Vogue Studio will be busy shooting spring campaigns, including a new take on Via Spiga. Known for its shoes, Via Spiga wants the new campaign to focus more on lifestyle, incorporating accessories and coats. Elgort shot the ads a few weeks ago in New York and New Jersey. He said his aim was to capture "someone that looks not all-American, but maybe European, someone who looks like she's going somewhere important." The ads will appear in the March issue of — surprise — Vogue.
— Amy Wicks