vstars Chapter 48 Target PPR
Chapter 48 Target PPR
Roger Sutherland's car was parked near a viewpoint in Beverly Hills, where the lights of Los Angeles were gradually coming on in the twilight mist in the distance.
"Three days." Roger turned his head and looked at Lin Ruiyang, who was sitting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, resting.
"What was that bargaining chip you mentioned before?"
"Filmmaking is art, but production is business. Meryl's intentions were just to make Fox think the project was worth doing, but to make them feel they had to work with me now, I needed a list of sponsorships they couldn't refuse."
"Which brands are you referring to?" Roger frowned.
"Lin, I have to remind you. Although 'The Devil Wears Prada' is set in the fashion world, the fashion industry is very wary of this project right now."
Anna Wintour's influence in New York is well-known; many big brands are worried that participating in the shoot would be seen as an offense to Vogue.
"That's because the previous strategy was flawed." Lin Ruiyang took out a business analysis from his bag.
"When they went to talk about sponsorship, they were only asking to borrow a few pieces of clothing or buy a few lenses. That was begging, not cooperation."
Rogge took the documents and, in the dim light of the car, saw two huge French abbreviations on the first page: LVMH and PPR.
"You want to drag these two companies into this?" Roger gasped.
In the fashion world in 2005, these two groups accounted for half of the industry.
Bernard Arnault's fashion empire was at its zenith, while Pinault's PPR (Printemps Group, later renamed Kering Group) was at a delicate crossroads.
"PPR is bleeding right now. Just this month, François-Henri Pinault officially took over as manager from his father."
The first thing Pinault Jr. did after taking office was to transform PPR from a sprawling retailer into a pure luxury goods giant.
Lin Ruiyang is very familiar with this period of history.
In 2005, PPR also owned Fnac (electronic retail), Conforama (furniture retail), and Printemps department store.
But Pinault Jr. saw things very clearly: the retail business was dragging down the group's valuation, and he was eager to get rid of these burdens and heavily invest in core brands such as Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen.
"He needs a signal, a signal to the global capital market that PPR is about to transform immediately," Lin Ruiyang said softly.
"A film starring Meryl Streep, released globally, and exploring the power structure of luxury goods is the best GG spot."
"Are you trying to exploit his anxiety about transitioning to a new career?"
"No, it's a win-win situation," Lin Ruiyang corrected.
"I will meet with PPR's North American marketing head and tell them that if the entire film 'The Devil Wears Prada' uses their group's brands as Miranda's costumes, the film will become PPR's first global visual extravaganza in its transformation process."
"What about LVMH?"
"That's the most interesting part. The underlying logic of the fashion world isn't beauty, but competition. Once PPR makes its stance clear, Bernard Arnault will definitely be uneasy."
Even if it was just to prevent Miranda from only wearing Gucci, he would send the latest Dior and Louis Vuitton models to the set.
……
Back at the hotel, Lin Ruiyang dialed Elizabeth's number.
"PPR?" After listening to his brief explanation, Elizabeth remained silent for about three seconds on the other end of the phone.
"Do you know that when Hollywood film crews go to Europe to solicit sponsorships, all they usually get are a few samples and a token amount for costumes? You want PPR to be directly involved in the production?"
"It's not about getting involved in production; it's a strategic partnership."
"PPR is undergoing a transformation, and Pinault Jr. needs a signal. This film was shot in New York, released in North America, and distributed globally; it's undoubtedly a huge 'GG' in itself."
Furthermore, Meryl Streep has joined, which serves as the best template for her.
Elizabeth did not respond immediately.
"When did you arrange to meet?"
"Sophie Durand, PPR Group's strategic consultant in North America, gave the timeframe as tomorrow afternoon."
"Then go. I can give you a letter of authorization from Fox, proving that you are the screenwriter and director of 'The Devil Wears Prada,' and have the right to represent the production team in brand collaboration negotiations."
This will give you more leverage at the negotiating table. But remember, PPR sponsorship is negotiable, but production rights are absolutely off-limits!
The next day, at 2 PM.
A private club in Beverly Hills, with a quiet and secluded environment.
Sophie Durand arrived five minutes earlier than agreed.
As PPR Group's chief strategic advisor in North America, she has met countless filmmakers seeking sponsorship.
Typically, these people are either humble and trembling or arrogant like artists, trying to pull a few out-of-season clothes out of the pockets of luxury goods groups.
But the young man in front of me seemed a little different.
"Mr. Lin, I received a call from Elizabeth this morning, who described you as a magician who could persuade Meryl Streep."
Sophie's tone carried the prudence typical of a working woman.
"But magicians are usually not good at business logic, so you only have thirty minutes because after thirty minutes I have to have a meeting with the retail manager in New York."
Thirty minutes is enough.
Lin Ruiyang took out a folded chart of global luxury goods consumption trends and a simplified structural diagram of the PPR Group from the file bag.
Sophie glanced at the sketch, her eyes instantly sharpening.
On that sketch, retail businesses like Fnac and Conforama were marked with a heavy red cross, while Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Alexander McQueen were circled together, with the word "Luxury Core" written in the center.
How do you know all this?
PPR's strategic shift away from retail is still under discussion, especially after Pinault Jr. took over, and the growing pains of this transformation have made the relationship between senior executives extremely tense.
However, this is not unknown to many. The newly appointed Pinault Jr. and the retired Pinault Sr. had two different strategic directions.
"I not only know these things, but I also know that what Mr. Pinault lacks most right now is not money, but legitimacy."
He needed to prove to the Parisian capital markets and to investors worldwide that PPR was no longer just a general store selling appliances and furniture, but an empire defining the pinnacle of global aesthetics. And *The Devil Wears Prada* was his best press conference.
"Lin, your movie tells the story of a mean boss tormenting his subordinates," Sophie sneered.
"What makes you think this can be a signal of our transformation?"
"Because of Miranda Priestley." Lin Ruiyang opened the script and pointed to the monologue in the blue sweater that he had carefully crafted.
"In the traditional Hollywood perspective, fashion is vanity. But in my lens, fashion is power, it is order."
When Miranda told Andrea how her inexpensive blue sweater had gone through the selection process of countless top designers and the labor of countless workers before finally ending up on the street, she was vindicating the entire luxury goods industry.
Lin Ruiyang stared into Sophie's eyes: "If Miranda had been wearing a Saint Laurent smoking outfit and holding a Gucci spring magazine sample at that moment, then this monologue wouldn't have been a lecture to her subordinates, but rather an analysis of the fashion industry's internal processes to the audience, using her influence within the industry."
Sophie fell silent. As a seasoned brand consultant, she knew all too well the value of this kind of cultural empowerment.
What do we need to give up?
"A direct sponsorship of five million US dollars to offset part of the filming costs," Lin Ruiyang announced a figure that made Sophie's brow furrow.
"In addition, all core brands under the PPR Group must provide new ready-to-wear clothing that has not yet been released for this film."
In return, I will design three brand close-ups exceeding ten seconds each, and turn the film's premiere into PPR's first global celebrity gala during its strategic transformation.
"Five million dollars... plus so much clothing support. Lin, you have quite the appetite."
"Compared to the soaring market value of Mr. Pinault after the transformation, this amount of money is just a drop in the ocean."
Lin Ruiyang stood up and glanced at his watch: "It's time, Sophie. If you can't make a decision, I'll go see someone from LVMH later."
I've heard that Mr. Bernard Arnault is recently very interested in product placement in movies. If Miranda were to wear LV and Dior throughout the film to humiliate those wearing Gucci, I think the effect would be quite good.
Sophie's expression changed. In the fashion world, LVMH and PPR are mortal enemies.
"Wait a minute," Sophie called out to him, picking up the phone.
"I need to make a call to Paris, and if Mr. Pinault agrees, I will personally accompany you to Fox to sign the power of attorney."
While waiting, Lin Ruiyang thought of the stingy person in the title—Prada.
Although the production team received sponsorship from Prada in the previous life, the film's costume budget was only $100 million, with one necklace prop alone costing $10.
It seems that the Prada Group has also been busy with internal restructuring this year, and has officially established the Prada SpA Group to focus on its core brands with the greatest growth potential.
Since Prada doesn't value it, then a token gesture will suffice.