Meet Lily. I fell in love with her when Peter Burke, owner and visionary entrepreneur of the 18 year old PJ Salvage brand showed me pictures of her schmoozing with models at a recent photo shoot. The minute I looked at these images of young women clad in PJ Salvage merchandise, playing with Lily, feeding her spaghetti and generally spoiling the daylights out of her, I knew Peter had a marketing bonanza on his hands. Without even trying, this adorable French bulldog has become an instant mascot for a product whose casual California feel good persona has informed the lifestyle of countless fans across the globe. Have you noticed that dog lovers have a tendency to stay loyal to a particular breed? Well French bulldogs that engage in pajama parlance: aka comfort and contentment have not only conquered Peter’s personal canine preferences, but also the hearts and minds of PJ Salvage customers. Lily has 10,000 followers on Instagram.
I have always proffered that good product comes first. After the goods are on the table though, telling a consistent story can assure fan devotion. Lily’s tale takes the PJ Salvage ethos to another level of cuddly and cute and just a bit “laissez-faire”: (she is French after all). The company has injected her message into their genetic infrastructure guaranteeing a healthy and productive future. Lily’s image now presides on hang-tags, labels, prints, packaging and accessories. There are so many possibilities for the brand to take advantage of her presence. Perhaps, a French bulldog PJ Salvage fashion parade with Lily as the star. But then again, she might want the stage all to herself. She always steals the show.
“I’ve Learned That People Will Forget What You Said, People Will Forget What You Did, But People Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel” ~Maya Angelou
