Pulling Kids Into Their Web

Milo Ventimiglia of "Heroes" has directed Webisodes featuring American Eagle's fall styles. (Michael Muller - AP)

"If the retailer wants to engage that customer segment, it's clear what you need to do," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, a division of NRF. "I think a static Web page isn't enough."

American Eagle wanted to be where the kids are. The retailer has a MySpace page with more than 46,000 friends and discussion topics such as "popped collars yes/no?" (The debate rages on with 142 posts and counting.) But Kathy Savitt, chief marketing officer, wanted to go further.

Last month, the chain launched 77E, a reference to 1977, the year the company was founded. The site features original content with subtle references to the retailer. It includes music and videos of rock band the Hourly Radio and video diaries of the retailer's back-to-school season models, dubbed Class of 08.

The main draw is a Web series titled "It's a Mall World" directed by "Heroes" hottie Milo Ventimiglia. The three-minute episodes follow the adventures of two girls and two boys as they explore the wonders of life, love and working in a mall, all while wearing American Eagle clothing.

The first 12 Webisodes are airing weekly on the retailer's Web site and on MTV during "Real World: Sydney." The final installment will appear only online. The Web series is also being promoted on large plasma TVs in the more than 900 American Eagle stores.

Strand said the site's traffic has increased since 77E launched, and users are staying longer and buying more. She said more than 1 million visitors have watched exclusive content on American Eagle's site during the past year.

"The customers are responding well to the looks and the outfits that the characters are wearing," she said. "The characters are so likable, and our customers identify with them so much."

Competing for students' short attention spans is J.C. Penney, which has also launched a back-to-school site and Web series around the slogan "Today's the day to mix it up."

This season marks the third year that J.C. Penney has created what it calls a "sitelet" promoting back-to-school. Last year, the theme was teens' bedrooms. The year before that, visitors could create dancing bobblehead characters.

Now the site features a reality show starring designers and twin brothers Chip and Pepper Foster, who, not coincidentally, are debuting a clothing line at J.C. Penney called C7P. The eight-episode Web series titled "Flipped" shows high school students switching cliques -- and clothes -- to see what life is like on the other side of the cafeteria.

Viewers can sign up for text alerts when new episodes are posted. And, as at American Eagle's site, the clothes worn in each show are just a click away.

"It's sticky. They are staying with the Webisodes," said Todd Beurman, national advertising director for J.C. Penney. "I think we're getting some engagement."

Retailers aren't always able to control the form of that engagement, however.

Last week, Wal-Mart created a Facebook group to help college students outfit their dorm rooms. The group includes a personality quiz to determine decorating style -- Free Spirit or Digital Diva? -- a shopping check list, and links to Wal-Mart merchandise.

But below those ads, a controversy rumbles on a "wall," where group members post comments. No one is talking about bed sheets or what they plan to major in. The discussion mainly centers on Wal-Mart's treatment of employees and whether the retailing giant should be unionized.

"All the brands that want to leverage this form of advertising, they've got to be prepared to accept that," Ryan said.