Dalton—Mariska Hargitay, the Emmy Award-winning actress of NBC-TV’s smash drama series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” is the new star of Karastan’s 2007 “Make a Statement” national ad campaign. Hargitay, who has played detective Olivia Benson for eight seasons on the acclaimed series, is the latest in a line of distinctive personalities being featured in print advertisements for the luxury brand.

Five versions of the ad—two for carpet and three for rugs—will run throughout the rest of the year in America’s leading shelter and lifestyle publications. The media buy includes: Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Gardens—Better by Design, Domino, Elle Décor, Food & Wine, House & Garden, Martha Stewart Living, Metropolitan Home, Real Simple, Southern Accents, Traditional Home, Veranda and Vogue Living.

In this fourth iteration of Karastan’s statement-makers series, Hargitay follows in the footsteps of “Lost” star Evangeline Lilly, actress/model Andie MacDowell and Bliss Spa founder Marcia Kilgore. The qualities embodied by Hargitay mirror those that have helped Karastan to become the leading manufacturer of exquisitely designed, top-quality carpets and rugs, the company said.

“Mariska Hargitay’s singularly charismatic persona, innate sense of glamour, authenticity and humanitarianism are traits which Karastan and millions of her fans admire,” said David Duncan, vice president of marketing for the company. “Her ability to be unapologetically true to herself and her own sense of style are very much in sync with the defining characteristics of the Karastan consumer.”

The company’s excited she’s onboard, according to Duncan, because her broad appeal and high-recognition factor, especially among young American women, will help attract a new generation of consumers to the Karastan brand, boosting sales opportunities for its valued retail partners.

“Millions of women across the country truly connect with Mariska’s realness and self-assured nature, much the way Karastan consumers feel a genuine emotional bond with our brand. We couldn’t have asked for an ambassador who better exemplifies what it means to ‘make a statement,’ both at home and in life.”