Men's fashion retailer appoints creative agency

- Peter Werth, the men's fashion retailer, has picked Barrett Cernis to handle the creative assignment on its £1 million-plus account as its extends its ad presence beyond lads mags and into outdoor media.

The company, which targets fashion-conscious men aged between 18 and 35, aims to raise its profile by avoiding the advertising "clutter" of magazines and putting more emphasis on posters.

Barrett Cernis, which won a four-way pitch orchestrated by the AAR, takes over the business from Quiet Storm. Media arrangements have yet to be finalised.

With shops in London's Covent Garden and King's Road as well as a presence in independent fashion stores throughout the UK, the 25-year-old Peter Werth profile has been limited and the agency has been briefed to raise it significantly.

Its products, including shirts, trousers, knitwear, coats, suits and a soon-to-be-launched shoes range, aim to match style with affordability.

"Peter Werth sells to men who might pay up to £50 for a shirt but wouldn't go up to £100," Justin Cernis, the agency's managing director, said. "These aren't clothes for plumbers who get togged up every Friday night to get pissed."

He added: "This account is right for us because it needs clever thinking and advertising that tells you more about the company. We won't be showing a couple of guys dressed in the gear with a Lear jet in the background."

Peter Werth, the company's eponymous founder, said: "My brief to the AAR was a high degree of creativity but mixed with a real understanding of my core target. Barrett Cernis seems to have a real sense of where my brand belongs."

This article was first published on Campaign