Sponsorships at LG Fashion Week are hardly avant-garde – it’s expected that between shows guests can relax in a swanky Lincoln tent, drink Peroni and stuff their handbags with Schick Quattro coupons. Usually, the only brand on the runway itself is that of the designer – until last night, when LG debuted its New Chocolate phone during Evan Biddell‘s 2010 collection.

Accessorizing Biddell’s silk dresses with chunky black and silver jewellery, models also wore the LG New Chocolate phone, unveiled just before the show, on their wrists, around their necks and inside their clutches. One model even wore the phone, with Biddell’s initials on the LCD screen, as a belt. The launch will also be promoted with a TV campaign starting this month and online advertising later this year, says Frank Lee, corporate marketing and sponsorship manager for LG Electronics Canada. Creative was handled by Y&R with the TV buy handled by Excelerator Media. The Biddell partnership was arranged by High Road Communications and XMC.

Going after style-setters is one way for the phone to stand out in the ever-growing smartphone category in Canada. Another way is the features, says Lee – the touchscreen has a 16:9 ratio ideal for multimedia content like movies, web TV and email. Lee says the target demographic for the campaign is more based on lifestyle than age, and includes two groups – techno-geeks who love new products, and fashionable trendsetters who ‘at the same time are very into social media.’

Telus is the New Chocolate’s exclusive provider, which Lee says will help them better tailor service plans for customers.