Earlier this week, Acorn Entertainment announced it had expanded its client base to include fashion brands following the addition of New York celebrity designer Jay Godfrey and Go FO, a faux fur collaboration between outwear maker Damiani and Playboy, to its roster of brands and celebrity talent looking to expand their presence in China.
Acorn Entertainment, a subsidiary of Acorn International (NYSE: ATV), provides a full suite of online and offline, multi-channel and multimedia promotional services to individual celebrity talent as well as brand clients, primarily from the U.S., who seek to maximize their brands in China and increase their monetization ratios from social media engagement. AE’s goal is to help talent and brands capture yet-untapped value from the Chinese market through a variety of means, including endorsements, pay-to-view content, as well as e-commerce.
Brittany Li, who heads up Client Acquisition at Acorn Entertainment believes that China’s rapidly growing middle class embraces Western fashion and there is a lot of opportunity to build brand value for both Jay Godfrey and Go FO in China. Jay Godfrey has already been active in the Chinese market over the years and his design aesthetic is inspired by the chic New York woman, and worn by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, and Holland Roden, and will appeal to young women in urban areas. Go FO will appeal to this same demographic, where cruelty-free faux fur is increasingly being viewed as a chic alternative fashion.
Damiani notes that Go FO’s inspiration arises from a 65-year-old history of PLAYBOY being one of the most iconic brands in the world, including in China. Damiani NY’s Go FO collection was born from the belief that treating animals with care and respect is an integral part of our world and future. With Go FO in particular, as well as with our recent engagement in the global campaign to reduce single-use plastic, we recognize that good business is increasingly about giving back and doing the right thing.
Robert Roche 