Insights

Brands & Dance Partners: A History of Advertising

By February 19, 2013 November 1st, 2022 No Comments

Turns out “Influencer Marketing” is a practice with some very deep roots. I was struck by just how deep during a recent night at home in front of the TV. In the 1935 film Top Hat, Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) and Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) fall for each other after enduring the grandfather of many a ‘70s sitcom misunderstanding. They dance a lot, too, but you’d probably guessed that.

What might be a little surprising is Dale’s job – she wears the spectacular dresses of Alberto Beddini (Erik Rhodes) to social events to generate buzz about his designs. She was an “influencer, ” chosen for her looks, style and connections – and the practice must have been pretty common by 1935 since it’s treated pretty casually in the movie.

It’s a good reminder that it’s not so much coming up with something new – it’s about hard work, being light on your feet, putting a spin on it and doing it with style.

~ Adam Schnitzler, @ASchnitz1 & COO, The S3 Agency

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