Two birds, one stone (and an expensive suit). Conrad Black, who is in the midst of a book tour for the recently published Flight of the Eagle, is appearing in a four-minute promotional video for Harry Rosen.
Aside from a quick shot of a suit and tie being steamed, the first 30-seconds is more akin to a PSA from a presidential candidate than a video for a high-end men’s retailer.
Black, one of the country’s most controversial figures after his conviction for fraud in the U.S., discusses the United States and its importance to the rest of the world before sitting down with Canadian journalist Seamus O ‘Regan to discuss what Black is “bullish about.”
O’Regan and Black, both dressed to the nines – presumably in suits available at Harry Rosen – discuss Flight of the Eagle for more than half the video before the topic turns to clothes.
“I’m not, if I may say, a physically vain person, but, partly under the influence of my wife, I am quite conscious of trying to dress well,” said Black, a publisher, author and ex-convict.
Harry Rosen typically relies on well-known pitchmen from the entertainment, sports and business fields for its ads. In previous efforts, the retailer featured prominent figures such as Jose Bautista, Adam van Koeverden, Richard Branson, Malcolm Gladwell and Christopher Plummer. (The company has even featured a few ad men in its print work.)
“Conrad is obviously a fairly renowned person and we knew he was coming out with a new book and he’s a good client so we made the decision to feature him,” Larry Rosen told Marketing.
The retailer’s CEO and chairman said reaction to the campaign has been “very polar.”
“I’ve had people come up and say ‘wow what a great thing to feature and it’s great that you’ve done that’ and I’ve had some emails this morning saying ‘this is not a good thing featuring a convicted felon,’” said Rosen.
“I’ve called up a number of people who complained negatively and we’ve spoken and they haven’t changed their mind, but they’re not mad at me,” he said. “This one is definitely controversial.”
Some people believe Black was treated poorly by the U.S. justice system, while others feel he’s a representative of white-collar crime, said Rosen. Either way, the retailer stands by its decision to feature Black in its ads.
“I happen to really respect history and historians and [Black] is absolutely one of the greatest history writers alive today and he served his time and I think that overshadows the negative,” said Rosen.
The video is part of a larger effort that includes a half-page ad featuring Black and his book with copy that reads: “What’s Conrad Black bullish about?”
For his appearance in the video, a donation was made to a charity of Black’s choice, according to the National Post columnist Jessica Leigh Johnston. Black also got to keep the suit he wears in the video.
Rosen said most of the retailer’s advertising is developed in-house, but Grip Ltd. partner Bob Goulart works with the brand as a consultant independent of the agency.
