[interview] the project story
Project Overview
This year, iconic brands Sesame Street and Peter Alexander, joined furry hands to create a unique partnership to celebrate Sesame Street’s 45th season in Australia
Licensing company, Haven Licensing, was looking to develop creative collaborations with Australian brands in order to generate hype and drive retail sales for the Sesame Street brand, and approached iconic pyjama brand, Peter Alexander.
This partnership, brokered over many months, represented a fuzzy and unique twist on classic characters whom kids of all ages have been snuggling up to for decades.
The extensive range included sleepwear, outerwear and accessories across men’s, women’s, kids’ (and even pets!), and featured a mix of different looks including retro patterns, fuzzy monster rompers and gowns, character slippers and photographic prints of the iconic Muppets themselves.
The collaboration marked a major first for Sesame Workshop, with Peter Alexander being the first commercial brand to visit and shoot their catalogue on the Sesame Street set in New York.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Company or Brand - Peter Alexander and Sesame Street
Team Leader - Peter Alexander
Creative Director - Peter Alexander
Account Director - Kieron Bastard
Designer - Milan Maticevski
Copywriter- Kieron Bastard
Stylist - Peter Alexander with Tony Reynolds on hair, and Benjamin Puckney on makeup
Photographer/Illustrator - Jason Kibbler
Production Manager - Georgie Emselle
PR - Esencia Communications for Sesame Street, NAC Media for Peter Alexander
Project Brief
The brief was to develop a partnership, in celebration of Sesame Street's 45th anniversary, that would generate enormous hype for the brand as it enters its 46th year, without compromising the integrity and brand values of either Sesame Street or Peter Alexander.
Sesame Workshop, the creators of Sesame Street, is a not-for-profit organisation, and traditionally, has not allowed commercial brands access to their set, or the iconic Sesame Street characters.
This unique collaboration, which saw Peter Alexander be the first commercial brand ever in the show’s 45-year history to visit and shoot the catalogue on the Sesame Street set in New York, provided a way to use the universal appeal of the characters to positively impact both brands.
Project Innovation/Need
The collaboration marks a major first for Sesame Workshop, with Peter Alexander being the first commercial brand ever in the show’s 45-year history to visit and shoot the catalogue on the Sesame Street set in New York. The catalogue, which is currently in stores, features the Sesame Street favourites having a play date with a human friend dressed fashionably in Peter Alexander’s collection.
Australian journalists accompanied Peter to the set of Sesame Street and were given access to a behind the scenes look at the shoot, and interviews with Peter, Elmo and Cookie Monster. We also collaborated wih Sunday Style magazine to deliver 8 pages of editorial in a fashion shoot featuring a mix of Peter Alexander products, designer items, and the iconic Sesame Street characters. This reach alone is over 1 million (readership).
Design Challenge
The design challenge was to shoot the Sesame Street characters as a part of the Peter Alexander catalogue, but in a way that would seem non-commercial in nature, and true to the integrity of the brand.
Shooting on the set of an iconic television program and working with puppets also presents unique logistical and technical challenges.
User Experience
Over 7,000 catalogues, produced by Paper Stone Scissors, were distributed across throughout Peter Alexander stores in Australia, and social media garnered over 40,000 likes and shares across Facebook and Instagram. A far-reaching PR campaign saw the collaboration discussed across the News Limited Network, Channel 9’s Today Show and extensively online.
Peter Alexander stores and online were heavily merchandised and branded with the Sesame Street product.
As a result, the range sold out within weeks.
Marketing - Branded Experience
This award celebrates creative and innovative design for branded experiences intended to persuade an audience to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas or services. Consideration given to the technical, conceptual and aesthetic elements, user experience, audience engagement and message delivery.
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