Sharon Stone and Adrien Brody in Greece: A Missed Communication Opportunity

The news of COS choosing Greece to showcase its Spring/Summer 2025 collection was thrilling. As anticipation grew, questions arose about the location, setup, guest list, and designs. The highly anticipated event took place on April 2nd at the imposing Dionysus quarry in Athens. With Oscar-winning actor and COS ambassador Adrien Brody, along with Sharon Stone in attendance, it could have been one of the most talked-about fashion events of the year. However, it went largely unnoticed due to questionable communication management. The Greek public’s interest in such high-profile personalities is undeniable. Brody and Stone don’t visit Greece often, so their presence at a fashion show could have created significant publicity—not just for COS but also for Greece itself. Greek TV stations, major news sites, and lifestyle programs had every reason to cover the event if they had received proper information. However, Outstand, the organizing company, seemed to follow a different strategy. The event was presented as an exclusive gathering rather than a nationwide fashion celebration. Consequently, the presence of Brody and Stone only became viral through random social media posts—a photo taken by a restaurant chef and an Instagram story by Greek influencer Giorgos Karava. Such handling diminished the event’s communication value and deprived COS of the chance to make a strong impression on the Greek audience. Outstand, led by Mairi Arones, is a well-known PR agency that has managed global brands like Estee Lauder, Sephora, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein. Yet, many of these brands seem to have left its client roster in recent years, indicating potential changes in the company’s strategy or performance. This case raises concerns about the agency’s ability to handle large-scale events with the required weight and attention. COS targets a broad yet stylish audience, including the average Greek consumer who seeks quality and aesthetics at affordable prices. This event could have strengthened COS’s connection with the Greek public through mainstream media coverage. Instead, the communication remained limited, losing the opportunity to highlight the brand more widely. Major multinational companies understand the cost of poor communication strategies. What they struggle to assess is whether local partners truly grasp each market’s dynamics. In the case of Outstand and COS in Athens, this connection seems to have been lost—along with a golden opportunity for greater brand exposure in the Greek market. The question remains: What will COS’s next move be? Can it reclaim lost ground?