Advertising Onslaught as Market Bridge

“Seizing the pretext of a mistake made by his advertising agency, R.L. Dupuy (which had let a “typo” slip through in a promotional text), he parts ways with them and sets up his own agency, tylONSIE&R ßOiißjSAQ which soon employs 100 people. In the three floors of galleries of the building on rue Poissonnière, he sets up a permanent exhibition hall of all his articles; he invites at his own expense buyers-transformers who present models made with the fabric that Boussac had provided them for free. He decides to create traveling fashion shows throughout France, with collection presentations. The inhabitants of Brive and Clermont-Ferrand had never seen anything like it! Two traveling “circuses,” comprising a tour leader, window dresser, speaker, decorators, pianists, models, and dressers, totaling about twenty people, continuously present the collections to the provinces, followed by the commercial ranks who take orders. The textile world is in turmoil. Rhodiaceta is trying to imitate the formula.”

“Then burning what he loved the day before, the shadow, the secrecy, Boussac fully commits to advertising. It makes all its products known under the brands “Loveline” (stabilized poplin), “Lava-clor” (luxury gingham and zephyrs), “Tissgar” (handkerchiefs), “Roma-nex” (upholstery fabrics), “Noveltex” (shirts), “Blizzand” (raincoats). According to the manager Robert Leduc, advertising costs several billion old francs per year. At that time, Boussac was the biggest advertiser in France, taking 130 pages of “placards” in the magazine Elle throughout the year, and up to sixteen pages in an issue of Jardin des Modes. The budget of Rhône-Poulenc in comparison was a quarter of that of Boussac. The king of cotton becomes intoxicated with the guarantee and works with his laboratories and factories so that all his fabrics deserve to bear the label. Only the personal approval of the boss gives these their mark of nobility.”