World
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Pier 1 has a new queer eye
Pier 1 Imports' new marketing campaign pairs a popular television niche, home decorating, with one of the genre's stars: Thom Filicia of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. With the success of shows like Trading Spaces and Queer Eye, it was time for Pier 1 to capitalize on the home decorating trend, said Phil Schneider, executive vice president for Pier 1 marketing. "We wanted somebody that was renowned as a decorator-expert, and Thom certainly has been well-connected in his career," said Marvin J. Girouard, chairman and chief executive officer of the Fort Worth, Tex.-based chain. "He's done some things that we think will really play well into the type of merchandising and advertising that we're going to."
The Bravo channel's Queer Eye makeover show features five gay men helping straight men transform their style from slovenly to chic in five categories: fashion, food and wine, interior design, grooming, and culture. Filicia is the "design doctor." Starting in March, Filicia will appear in Pier 1 Imports commercials that show him helping customers find decorative furnishings that reflect their personal style. He replaces actress Kirstie Alley, who for three years was the company's celebrity spokesperson for a "Get in Touch With Your Senses" campaign. Filicia's sexuality will likely be a nonissue with most Pier 1 customers, one analyst said. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has been pretty successful, so that takes the pressure off Pier 1," said Thomas Cline, associate professor of marketing at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.
Filicia also will help Pier 1 distinguish itself from competitors, such as Bed Bath & Beyond or Crate and Barrel, another analyst said. "I think they've probably done a pretty good job in picking this guy out," said Bill Baldwin, an analyst at Baldwin Anthony Securities. Filicia was named one of America's top designers by House Beautiful and owns the New York design company Thom Filicia Inc. He said he uses Pier 1 items in his designs, so he had no problem signing up as a pitchman for a year. "There's so much personality in their pieces," Filicia said. "This is a store where you can really express yourself."
Pier 1 started in 1962 as a single store in California. The company moved to Fort Worth in 1966 and now boasts more than $1.7 billion in sales and more than 1,200 stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. In the late 1980s the company evolved from "a funky import company," Girouard said, carrying items such as beanbags and beaded curtains, to a retailer carrying affordable home furnishings and decorating accessories. "We've established our brand," Girouard said. "It's unique. It's a good value. And I think to go the next step--to really establish that Pier 1 is a place you ought to consider if you're buying home furnishings and accessories--we need some credibility relative to a designer saying this is a great place."
"Is there risk involved in big change? Absolutely," Girouard said. "But there's much more risk involved in not changing things." Choosing Filicia to anchor a marketing campaign is one of those changes. "Thom Filicia is a bold move, but one that makes sense given his credibility as a designer and the popularity of the show he is on now," said Laura Richardson, an analyst in equity research at Adams, Harkness, and Hill.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
'Florida has a First Amendment problem' — judge rules trans teacher can use 'Ms.'
April 10 2024 6:33 PM
Here's why soccer fans are booing USWNT player Korbin Albert
April 10 2024 6:26 PM
Trans and nonbinary migrants file complaint over treatment at ICE detention facility
April 10 2024 6:00 PM
X likely profited from promoted post calling for LGBTQ+ death penalty
April 10 2024 3:11 PM
Giselle Byrd is taking center stage — and helping others do the same
April 10 2024 2:15 PM
How Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter advances equality
April 10 2024 1:39 PM
The North Face faces conservative boycott for sponsoring a queer summer camp (exclusive)
April 10 2024 8:26 AM