“HAPPINESS IS…FRONT-ROW SEATING AT A FASHION SHOW:” METLIFE STRUTS ITS BRAND (AND SNOOPY) AT MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK

“HAPPINESS IS…FRONT-ROW SEATING AT A FASHION SHOW:” METLIFE STRUTS ITS BRAND (AND SNOOPY) AT MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK

September 07, 2007

MetLife put its brand on the catwalk today, sponsoring MetLife Snoopy in Fashion, a first-ever group designer fashion show as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Many of the fashion world’s favorite designers (including Heatherette, Isaac Mizrahi, Betsey Johnson, Liz Claiborne and Pamella Roland, to name a few) participated, creating one-of-a-kind runway outfits inspired by their favorite Peanuts characters by Charles M. Schulz.

"Peanuts and the fashion industry have a unique history. Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Oleg Cassini, Fendi, and countless other fashion notables have designed fashions for Snoopy and his sister, Belle, which have been exhibited in fashion capitals in the U.S., Europe and Japan," said Jeannie Schulz, wife of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. "Knowing that Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang inspire amazing creativity, I was filled with curiosity and amazed to see these incredible 21st century designs on the runway at the MetLife Snoopy in Fashion show."

For 20 years, MetLife has built a connection between the Peanuts gang and its U.S. brand. Earlier this year, the company obtained financial services exclusivity to connect Snoopy and the Peanuts gang to the MetLife brand worldwide.

"Today, more than half of MetLife’s individual policyholders are women," said Beth Hirschhorn, MetLife’s chief marketing officer. "Snoopy in Fashion builds new pathways for communicating with women about life’s possibilities and uncertainties – the ‘ifs’ in life. Whether you view insurance as a security blanket or a safety net, women want to know that their loved ones are protected. Fashion allows us to reach the women’s market in a very personal manner and build on our long-standing and now global relationship with Snoopy."

MetLife Snoopy in Fashion opened its doors at 6:00 pm with the MetLife Blimp, Snoopy Two, flying overhead. A select group of celebrity Peanuts fans, including two of The View’s co-hosts, also designed for the show. They included actress-comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, talk show host-designer Elisabeth Hasselbeck, actress-singer Kristin Chenoweth, and the Food Network’s Ingrid Hoffmann. Actress-singer JoJo and HGTV "Design Star" champion David Bromstad, who presented a Peanuts-inspired dog carrier, were among the models strutting the runway.

In October, the entire MetLife Snoopy in Fashion collection will be auctioned off on eBay to benefit Dress for Success. Peanuts fans and fashionistas alike can bid on the designer runway creations by going to www.ebay.com/snoopyinfashion beginning October 1, 2007.

"MetLife’s partnership with Dress for Success is important, because we recognize that some women have had more than their fair share of ‘ifs’ in life," added Hirschhorn. To commemorate Snoopy in Fashion, MetLife is also selling a limited-edition silk scarf (available at www.metlifestore.com), all proceeds from which go to Dress for Success.

MetLife has been providing financial protection to women and men alike for nearly 140 years. While MetLife is already a leader in the women’s market, the company is committed to reaching even more women in the years ahead.

"Our brand advertising and promotional campaigns speak directly to MetLife’s ability to help individuals create their own ‘personal safety nets,’ with guarantees for the ‘ifs’ in life," noted Hirschhorn. "For women, a personal safety net is a particularly motivating concept. We all need guarantees, but women, in particular, need to take action. On average women have done less financial planning than men and have less insurance protection."

MetLife research shows that two-thirds of women today feel they are carrying more financial burdens than their parents. While 52% of men have individual life insurance and 55% have group coverage, only 44% of women have individual coverage and 41% have group coverage, according to LIMRA. The gender divide also plays a significant role in how Americans view retirement, with 62% of women worrying that they will outlive their retirement money, compared with 45% of men.

"That’s the secret to life…replace one worry with another," Charlie Brown once said. MetLife is helping women find a better way forward.

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