There she is, Miss America in her DSW shoes.
Columbus-based DSW Shoe Warehouse and the Miss America Organization today will announce a three-year partnership that calls for the retailer to become the official provider of shoes for the annual pageant and a national sponsor for the organization.
The pageant, which will again be hosted by Mario Lopez, will be presented on Jan. 30 and air live from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on TLC.
The opening number will feature all 53 contestants stepping out in DSW footwear.
The two companies also will work together to develop a unique brand of footwear, which will be a first for Miss America. The contestants will wear the shoes, probably in the evening-gown segment of the show, starting in 2011.
Pageant officials approached DSW several weeks ago proposing a partnership, said Mike MacDonald, president and CEO of DSW Shoe Warehouse. They proposed an affiliation "whereby we could become a lead sponsor for the Miss America pageant and also develop a product that could be incorporated into the pageant."
The notion was attractive for several reasons, DSW officials said.
"We have a very strong connection to women - as does the pageant, of course - so it felt like a natural," said Leslie Neville, director of investor relations at DSW.
In addition, the affiliation promises to "provide us with fairly significant publicity on a year-round basis," MacDonald said. "That was attractive to us. We operate in 39 states and would love to have a national presence and fuller recognition of DSW."
The shoe retailer's "style fits with our message that Miss America is contemporary, hip and a style icon," said Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization. "We're anxious to help promote a wonderful company that shares the same strong connection to women we do."
The partnership is a first for DSW, which previously had a relationship with the LPGA, "but nothing this significant," company officials said.
The shoe company is scheduled to announce the partnership this morning with current Miss America, Katie Stam of Indiana, in attendance.
Financial elements of the agreement include an annual payment by DSW plus royalty payments on the Miss America shoe line, MacDonald said, without elaborating on figures.
After the next winner is crowned Miss America 2010, she will travel 20,000 miles every month on her national media tour and probably make frequent stops at DSW locations, MacDonald said. In addition, also in partnership with DSW, the 53 Miss America contestants will help support social causes throughout the year.
"We look forward to sponsoring their important role as the world's leading provider of scholarships for young women," MacDonald said.
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