Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon Invitations
Here are two invitations, to the Vidal Sassoon press event launches for the hair care products and the jeans in Canada, in 1980.
The Montreal event was first, on a Sunday! Vidal Sassoon helped sponsor the Canadian Grand Prix and the hostesses wore the jeans of course. Then, there was a Cocktail Buffet with a little fashion show at Régine’s, which was very hot then. We all left for the Toronto event very early Monday morning, to be in time for a WWD interview at 9 am and we spent 2 days there, one interview after another, including at all meal times. The Toronto Cocktail Buffet was on Monday night at Sutton Place Hotel and photos can be seen in this album from that event. Vidal was up very early on Tuesday morning to go out of town for a 7 minute interview on Canada AM, which included him doing yoga! And he did interviews the rest of the day, until 4 pm, when I had booked him a requested massage. Both he and I flew to Toronto, for a lunch, for one important interview later and all radio interviews were done later.
I worked with a PR in Toronto and two PR’s in Montreal and from my office in NYC where I worked with two assistants on these events. One of the important things that made Mr. Vidal Sassoon so successful and special was he expected a lot. And he got a lot. Interviews were all pre-planned and approved of before the press events.
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1 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon with Million $ Jeans Model, Toronto, 1980
Vidal Sassoon and his Million $ Jeans Here’s Vidal with his Million $ Jeans model at the Toronto Press Event to launch his jeans and his hair care products in Canada.
This was the ultimate pair of jeans and this photo made not only the NY Post but also the NY Daily News and the United Press International Wire Service for world wide coverage, but also many papers in Canada as well as the US.
As PR director for the Vidal Sassoon Salons USA and Canada, I had spent two weeks of sleepless nights trying to come up with a newsworthy idea to launch yet another pair of jeans and one night a brainwave came. Why not have the Vidal Sassoon logo made of real diamonds and have a Pinkerton security guard standing by to protect what I called the Million $ Dollar Jeans. I had a contact with the Canadian PR for de Beers Diamonds, at Ayer Barker ABH International in Toronto, and I approached Heather. She liked the idea for De Beers, too, and had the signature made of De Beers diamonds, albeit not a Million $ worth, but I think we paid some $15,000 for the signature, which in 1981 was worth a lot more than it would be now. Yes, it was a gimmick, but a good one. I was surprised how many of the press thought they really were worth a million dollars but most knew and played along with the fun!
Jeans manufactured in Montreal by Skirt Togs for Vidal Sassoon Canada Ltd. There were hairstyle photos in the press release, but repeats of others in the Vidal Sassoon Archives so I show just some of the photos and sketches from the Canadian Launch.
Hair: Helen Chudoba, Vidal Sassoon, Toronto, 1980 …Model: Paula Turnbull, International Top Models … Photo: Unknown … Produced by Helen Oppenheim
(Photo was either United Press International or Canadian Press, but I am not 100% sure which or who took it. Will credit.)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment2 Canadian Launch 1980
Photo: Unknown
Million $ Jeans and Security Guard
Here’s the Million $ Jeans with a real Pinkerton security guard, complete with gun. We hired one in Toronto, shown here, and another in Montreal for the jeans fashion show and event we held there the previous day at Régine’s, which was followed the next day by the jeans at the Montreal Grand Prix where 50 hostesses and pit girls flashed and dashed about in Vidal Sassoon jeans and tops.
This was a major PR effort on my part, which I handled from my NY office with Norma Meneguzzi of Ayer Barker in Toronto and RPM Promotions in Montreal working with Lawrence Taylor of Vidal Sassoon in Century City in California.
The jeans were manufactured in Canada by Skirt Togs in Montreal for Vidal Sassoon of Canada Ltd.
Hair: Helen Chudoba, Vidal Sassoon, Toronto, 1980 … Model : Paula Turnbull, International Top Models … Photographer: Unknown.
REQUESTED ANECDOTE FROM PETER NIEDAN, THE SECURITY GUARD, 33 YEARS LATER AFTER HE MADE A COMMENT UNDER THIS PHOTO, SEE BELOW:
“it was long ago and I happened to keep a security newspaper called The Eye which was a Pinkerton issue..vol 28, no 4 december 1980. What I recall from that evening was that Mr. Vidal Sassoon was very welcoming to me when I arrived for my escort duty. Told me to stick to Paula’s side no matter what, even if pictures were being taken. When the picture was taken we were on stage in front of the crowd and when Paula put her hands on me she was shaking and hence the distortion of my mouth on the right side as I was talking to her to calm her down. If I remember correctly this was her first show where she was the prime model. A gentleman(?) made some comment about how hard my job was having to watch her butt all evening. At the end of the evening she and I went back to her hotel room and I waited outside for her to change and give me the pair of jeans which I then brought to the client and then since my duties were finished. Do not really remember to much else of the evening except that Paula behaved in a professional way and to my mind did a good job. Mr Peter Niedan”
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment3 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon Million $ Jeans kept safe. Sketch: Georgine Strathy
Million $ Jeans Safe
The Million $ Jeans were kept in a safe when not in use.
Sketch by Georgine Strathy
ANECDOTE: Actually, the diamonds were attached to just a pocket.
I had to travel by train with the pocket of diamonds from Toronto to Montreal because
there was an air strike on at the time. I remember a very experienced
member of the press being concerned for me that I was traveling with the diamonds
and no security.
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment4 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon Jeans, 1980. Sketch : Georgine Strathy
Vidal Sassoon Designer Jeans and Tops
The Vidal Sassoon women’s jeans featured The Carrot Leg – a new shape in 1980,
like a baggie, no pleats, tapered at the ankle – which is why there’s a paper carrot top left,
and why we included an orange paper carrot with the press release.
Colors included putty, slate, butternut, quail and shell pink, fountain blue, and
quartz lilac, pearl, water lilly – great colors for then! Of course, there was also
blue denim.
The jeans manufactured by Skirt Togs in Montreal for Vidal Sassoon Canada Ltd.
were almost as huge a success as the hair care products after the launch, and one
of them, can’t remember which now, shot up to No. 2 in their category in Canada.
NOTE: Of course, Vidal Sassoon Jeans were later discontinued because manufacturing
jeans were not the area of expertise for a hair product company.
Sketch by Georgine Strathy
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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4a Canadian Jeans 1980
Vidal Sassoon Jeans @ Montreal Grand Prix,1980. Sketch: Georgine Strathy
Vidal Sassoon Designer Jeans at Montreal Grand Prix
50 hostesses and pit girls flashed and dashed about in Vidal Sassoon jeans
and tops and the Montreal Grand Prix in 1980.
Jeans manufactured in Montreal by Skirt Togs for Vidal Sassoon Canada Ltd.
Sketch by Georgine Strathy
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ANECDOTE: The reason Vidal Sassoon manufactured his own designer jeans was
because everyone at Vidal Sassoon was receiving many requests per day for
jeans. Why? Well, a major jeans company at the time was called Sasson (with one o)
and everyone thought that was us, so I guess the Powers That Be saw an opportunity.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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5 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon Product Launch Canada 1980. Sketch: Georgine Strathy
Sassooning – The Shampooing
Vidal Sassoon’s simple three-step hair care regimen was launched in Canada
September 1980. There was Cleanse, with Shampoo, Condition with Protein Hair
Re-Moisturizing Creme, Seal & Protect with Finishing Rinse.
The famous products, only some mentioned and shown here, were handsomely packaged
in brown and silver, and were a big success in the US, the UK, Europe, Asia and South America.
As Vidal Sassoon said: “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.”
Sketch by Georgine Strathy
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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6 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon with product display designer, Peter Laurance, Toronto 1980
Vidal Sassoon, September 29th, 1980 at the Toronto launch of his haircare products (and designer
jeans) – see here with Peter Laurance who designed the display.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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