Michelle Obama, The Tonight Show and J. Crew: An Accidental Product Placement Turned Into A Marketing Campaign

A couple of weeks ago, first-lady-to-be Michelle Obama appeared on the Tonight Show. As a bit of a gag, Jay Leno asked how much Obama paid for her outfit (an obvious slap at Sarah Palin's clothes spending spree). Here's the exchange:

“I want to ask you about your wardrobe,” Mr. Leno told her, alluding to the news media reports that Sarah Palin had a campaign clothing budget of $150,000. “I’m guessing about 60 grand? Sixty, 70 thousand for that outfit?”

“Actually, this is a J. Crew ensemble,” Mrs. Obama replied, to cheers from the audience. “Ladies, we know J. Crew. You can get some good stuff online!”

What started as a joke turned into a boon for J. Crew, who quick took advantage of the situation, turning the accidental on-air promotion into a ful-fledged marketing program.

J. Crew bought “Michelle Obama” keywords on Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, built a page on the jcrew.com Web site that promoted her outfit (a $148 pencil skirt, a $148 yellow and brown tank top and a $118 yellow cardigan), and told call-center representatives how to handle queries about Mrs. Obama’s fashion.

J. Crew says they're pleased with sales but declined to say how many of the items had been sold.

Source: The New York Times