Celebrities lend star quality to teen marketing (1/3ページ)

Musical artist Fergie is pitching Mac cosmetics' Viva Glam line. Actress Amanda Bynes has her own apparel line at Steve & Barry's. And singer Avril Lavigne's namesake clothing will be at Kohl's in July.

Celebrities, retailers say, bring a cachet to products that advertising can't touch. And when you're trying to reach the teen market, stars shine even brighter.

Steve & Barry's uses seven celebrity designers, and half the stores' merchandise has a star attached to it. Chief partnership officer Howie Schacter says the chain uses only celebrities who share the company's philosophy of offering high-quality fashion that's affordable. (All the retailer's merchandise is now $8.98 or less.) Schacter says stars also offer a way to generate buzz, especially with teen shoppers, without the stores having to spend a fortune on advertising.

"We're not a traditional advertiser, so whatever product we come up with, we need to find way to make it very newsworthy," he says.

Having New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury play NBA games wearing the $8.98 sneakers he designed for Steve & Barry's helps gain credibility - and publicity.

Heidi Montag, star of the TV show "The Hills", feels similarly about the Heidiwood clothes that launch this week at Anchor Blue stores. Nothing costs more than $60. "I wanted everyone who likes fashion and clothes to be able to afford it," she said.