Top 10 Luxury Sites Don’t Work On iPad
PSFK published an article today which covers their research in to the Top 10 luxury sites compatibility with iPad. Not a great result – only Gucci passed. Why? Well obviously due to their dependence on Flash, a technology that Steve Jobs has outlawed in both the iPad and iPhone. While this decision is controversial it can’t be ignored by the luxury sector. The iPad is just about to launch in major luxury markets markets like Japan, where iPhone penetration is 46%. The lag time in not embracing the technology could cost dearly. Let’s hope this isn’t a reflection of past trends the luxury industry has been slow to embrace.
Pokeware & Video Hotspotting
Following on from our last piece, there are some interesting developments around video hotspotting that could have major implications for fashion and luxury industries. Essentially they ustilise the engagement of video and link it to ecom. Pokeware is one of the players which is gunning specifically for fashion. As this demo on Dazed illustrates, there is still some way to go (static links as opposed to dynamic real-time). It’s a space that is going to hot up dramatically in the coming months. BoF have done a nice piece on it here.
Chanel’s Vol De Jour not quite order of the day
We’re big Chanel fans at SoL, but can’t help feeling that Karl’s latest ‘Vol De Jour’ film, available via their iPhone app, falls a little short of the mark when it comes to creating interesting digital content. Why? Because frankly it’s dull. Beyond being able to see various pieces of the collection and getting a glimpse of Lara Stone in her smalls, it is of little value to the user, and therefore misses a major social opportunity. This is reflected in the low views and ratings on public broadcast sites and largely disparaging user comments. The experience is flat because it doesn’t embellish the brand and it leaves you wondering why Chanel doesn’t have more to say, which it certainly does. Cool bike though…
Gaga about luxury product placement
The modern luxury industry is arguably built on product placement in one form or another, but Lady Gaga is offering something quite remarkable to luxury brands: the opportunity to get in front of 35million YouTube viewers for starters. The latest beautifully crafted product from Haus of Gaga is the Bad Romance video, which counts no less than 12 product slots for everyone from Burberry to Versace via Phillipe Starck, La Perla and McQueen. Why? Gaga’s opulent visual imagery is an inviting backdrop for a luxury brand. It is the kind of lavish fantasy that strikes an attractive balance of desirability, edginess and mass appeal. Couple that with an almost unprecedented reach thanks to social media and it starts to look like a very engaging marketing platform.
Mobile luxury
Luxury brands are finding themselves increasingly drawn towards mobile as an engagement platform, after all there are few technologies we have more intimate relationships with. Dolce & Gabbana and Hugo Boss have both recently launched a number of mobile campaign strategies, including coupons(!) – not a marketing tool you would previously have associated with the luxury sector. But now this type of retail promotion involves the shopper producing their iphone instead of a wad of crumpled paper from their pockets, which is a much more appealing route to discount.
“Train de Nuit” by Chanel N°5
“Train de Nuit” is a short film by Chanel N°5, that was released earlier this year. The film, which stars Audrey Tautou and Travis Davenport, is the work of legendary French film director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It tells the tale of a brief encounter between a man and a women traveling to Istanbul on the Orient Express, who’s lives are brought together with a little help from N°5.
In the lead up to the festive season the film is getting plenty of air time on television channels worldwide. But it’s the digital aspects of the project that have caught our attention.
The film was initially released online at www.chaneln5.com, back in May. The Flash website is beautifully executed and is a very good extension of the overall campaign. As well as showing the films – both the long and short versions – the site provides a fascinating looks at the making of the films including an interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and plenty of behind-the-scenes photography.
Interestingly, the campaign extends well beyond the website. Much of the campaign has been promoted via the brands own Facebook group, which currently boasts almost half a million fans. To many, involving consumers in the conversation only takes away from the mystery and potentially endangers a luxury brands positioning. Though a cursory read through some of the comments posted by the 1613 fans who recommended the film, reveals that there is very little being done to harm the Chanel brand in this case.
Aside from Facebook, the campaign is also getting promotion through an email marketing drive, which we picked up on courtesy of Elle Tea. And there’s plenty of Chanel conversation taking place on Twitter also.
We think it’s great to see brands such as Chanel using digital channels to breath extra life into the great campaigns they produce.
BMW eco-luxury EfficientDynamics
BMW are now officially the world’s number one luxury car manufacturer. Love or hate the brand image, their engineering credentials are undeniable. Their Vision EfficientDynamics prototype is a major marketing investment as well as a design triumph. As with so many successful luxury brands it is the content created by this kind of product innovation desirability that filters down to the mainstream market, creating a serious halo effect. Check the brand film here.
Selling the dream
Luxury positioning, especially for the potential – as opposed to the existing – market is all about aspirational and slightly out of reach desirability. With this in mind LV have created a very neat piece of digital content in ‘SuperFlat Luxury’ to hook Japanese schoolgirls, with a crystal clear call to action for mobile seeding and a very compelling Alice In Wonderland brand story.
Burberry attracts 200,000 to its social network
British clothing brand Burberry has attracted more than 200,000 unique users and 3m page views to its new social network since launching last week.
The Art Of The Trench encourages visitors to upload pictures of themselves wearing a Burberry trenchcoat to build its own community of fans of the brand. Burberry wants to build on the 700,000 fans it has attracted on Facebook.
Christopher Bailey, creative director for Burberry, said, “Everybody has a different story related to their coat or the first time they came into contact with one. I love the idea that people from all over the world can share those stories and images with each other.”
From New Media Age
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