Self-Promotional Banners
Kenneth's first "official" office was in New York City on the sixth floor of a townhouse at 29 West 56th Street. It was a small space with an elevator, but it was conveniently close to the shoe industry. Not close enough, however, for him to feel confident that customers would find him during the next Shoe Show. So, how could he let the industry know he was there?
With the timely gift of a few pairs of shoes for the neighbors, he was able to hang a twenty-foot banner across the street, which read, "Act I, Scene II." It was legible from at least three blocks east or west. Kenneth found out that the building inspector didn't work on weekends, so the banners went up on Friday and came down on Monday, which was conveniently when the Shoe Show took place.
Under the pretense of window washing, Kenneth gained permits from the buildings department and suspended scaffolding from the roof. He then enlisted brave models with more ambition than inhibition, who were willing to parade outside his sixth-story windows. He hired a small truck and a cameraman who focused up at the scaffolding. The combined effect drew the attention of hordes of pedestrians, including the buyers who wedged their way into the elevator and came up to buy Kenneth's collection.
