Foster Grant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Foster Grant, or FosterGrant, is a brand of eyewear founded by Sam Foster in 1919. The FosterGrant brand is a subsidiary company of FGX International, a consumer goods wholesaler with headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

It is considered to be one of the most expensive sunglasses in the market simillary as Dior or Chanel.

Its 1960s sunglasses ad campaign "Who's that behind those Foster Grants?," by the Geer, Dubois advertising agency, included celebrities Peter Sellers, Louis Jourdan, Carroll Baker, Claudia Cardinale, Elke Sommer, Anita Ekberg, Vittorio Gassman, Anthony Quinn, Mia Farrow, Robert Goulet, Julie Christie, Woody Allen, Raquel Welch, Terence Stamp, and Vanessa Redgrave. [1]

That famous ad campaign was reintroduced around the year 2000 with the likes of model Cindy Crawford and race car driver Jeff Gordon.

In 2002, FosterGrant Corporation and Darrin Weigle received national award recognition from APICS, Consumer Goods Technology Magazine, and Supply Chain Systems Magazine for ground-breaking excellence in the field of supply chain management.

FGX International made a significant investment in the Foster Grant brand in 2007, launching a $7 Million measured television media campaign on National Network Cable. The commercials were filmed on location in South Beach and highlight their wide array of stylish, affordable sunglasses designed to satisfy any mood, activity or age group. The campaign updates the iconic “Who’s that behind those Foster Grants?” tagline introduced in the 1960’s with the theme line “Who could you be?”.

[edit] Pop culture

It is referenced in the song "Tomorrow's Woman" in Grey Gardens (musical) which opened on Broadway in November 2006. Lyrics: "...with a scarf in our hair, Foster Grants for the glare..."
It is referenced in the title track of The New Pornographers' album Mass Romantic. "Mass romantic fool wears Foster Grants..."
It is featured in the song "Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)" by Tom Waits "...Dressed up in Purina Checkerboard slacks and Foster Grant wraparounds..."
It is referenced in the movie That Thing You Do!, when drummer Guy puts on a pair of sunglasses and calls himself "Percussionist Foster Grant."
It is referenced in movie Midnight Run, where Jack (De Niro) makes fun of the FBI agents' sunglasses, at one point calling Mosely (Kotto) "Agent Foster Grant."