When I sat down to choose my favourite luxury ads, I found it a real challenge to narrow down the options. The space is characterised by beautifully crafted campaigns and stunning aesthetics. During my time working in the luxury industry, great story-telling has always been the differentiator that I’ve looked for, and that’s how I’ve come up with this list of my favourites. I’ve found some really compelling story-telling on display that challenges conventions.
In an industry that has historically pushed brands down a global approach, we are seeing fascinating hyper-local strategies and inspirational choices of talent to engage with consumers wherever they are in the world and whatever values they ascribe to. None of this is surprising at a time when consumers are increasingly living out their lives on social platforms and brands therefore have to be social-first.
When I apply training in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, it’s fascinating to observe how brands are navigating this relatively unchartered territory. Today’s youngest and newest cohort of luxury goods consumers behaves in a very different way to earlier generations, and brands are having to look at innovative strategies to keep them interested while keeping older consumers on board; a new kind of hyper-personalised storytelling.
After much consideration, my final selections are these:
Desert Island Ads
Chanel 2024 Coco Crush
Chanel’s Coco Crush campaign for its fine jewellery range is an impactful blend of advertising and entertainment characterised by a cool nonchalance and filmed in gorgeous, striking monochrome. The campaign film is minimalist yet also bold and effortlessly luxurious – a characteristic vibe that’s totally in tune with the next generation of luxury consumers it’s looking to target.
The iconic Palais Brongniart in Paris is an unexpected arena for a stylish game of musical chairs yet somehow a fitting homage to Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel who believed “every encounter was a game where luck and destiny intersect.”
Jamie xx’s original composition ‘It’s So Good’ underscores the line-up of A-list brand ambassadors as they glide past the chairs, headed towards their next chance interaction. The pared back scenery allows glimpses of jewellery on the moving figures to shine through and capture the viewer’s attention. So mesmerising is the unfolding action that you almost forget you’re watching megastars like BLACKPINK’s Jennie, actress Amandla Stenberg, and Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton. Placing music at the heart of the ad is also a clever move to target the younger luxe consumer.
Loewe X Suna Fujita
This campaign earned Loewe the first ever Luxury & Lifestyle Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Lions and it’s not hard to see why… it’s a coming together of two different art forms in perfect, playful harmony and it’s a joy to observe.
The brand collaborated with Shohei Fujita and Chisato Yamano, founders of Suna Fujita; a little-known Kyoto-based ceramic studio. Suna Fujita’s work transports you to a charming and enchanted world filled with whimsical characters that decorate their ceramic-ware and which LOEWE then brings to life on leather goods, accessories, knitwear and tableware.
To support the initiative Loewe created an entire world of wonder spanning digital, OOH, impactful activations (including a restaurant and candy store) and even a children’s picture book. Special mention goes to the accompanying stop motion films directed and animated by Andrea Love in which the handmade whimsical characters at the centre of this campaign come to life.
While each element of the campaign could work alone, together they evoke powerful feelings of joy, wonder and curiosity.
There is a high bar set for luxury brands today and this is an example of everything they should be doing; tapping into local cultures, celebrating diversity and undiscovered talent whilst championing craftsmanship in a beautifully cinematic style. In this example, LOEWE allows the central talent’s playful, creator aesthetic to breathe and take space alongside the icon that is the LOEWE brand.
Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Lock
I’ve chosen this campaign as one of my ultimate favourites because of its hyper-local approach.
The multimedia #TiffanyLock campaign was shot in six global cities featuring niche and established artists such as stars of cult favourite TV series The White Lotus; Beatrice Granno and Simona Tabasco and Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa, among others. Tiffany worked with local talent across their key markets including Paris, Milan, Berlin, the Middle East and London, recording the artists in local places that hold sentimental meaning to share personal stories and mementos.
The campaign consists of video, still imagery and voice notes to create a holistic and intimate narrative that focuses on unique and deep connections, beyond traditional romantic relationships. By sharing personal artefacts from the featured talent such as handwritten notes, photobooth strips, boarding passes, drawings, and poems, we gain a veritable behind the scenes glimpse into the cherished, significant moments of their lives.
For example, each Tiffany Partner provided a voice note in which they expressed what the concept of “connection” means to them. Poet Sophia Thakur shared her unique interpretation of love while Doctor Who actors Yasmin Finney and Ncuti Gatwa explored the power of and need for meaningful connections in life.
By combining truly authentic storytelling with locally relevant talent partnerships, this campaign really demonstrates what it means to deliver elevated luxury in a globally connected – yet uniquely local – digital world. Hyper-localisation is redefining luxury marketing strategies as global CMOs are now giving autonomy to local/regional managers so they can create regionally and culturally relevant campaigns and move away from an overarching one size fits all approach.
Bottega Veneta – Bottega for Bottegas
Launched in December 2021 as the pandemic was in its full awful flow, Bottega for Bottegas has become a campaign I look forward to seeing every year.
Due to Covid, thousands of ‘Bottegas’ (Italian for ‘workshop’) around the world closed their doors. In response, Bottega Veneta, – which to this day upholds its “Bottega” roots (the clue is in the name!) – decided to shine a light on smaller bottegas and give them a global platform to showcase their outstanding craftsmanship and creativity.
In 2021 the project featured bottegas from Italy. In 2022, it chose bottegas from around the world that took inspiration from Italian culture. In 2023 the four selected bottegas are expert practitioners of unique crafts.
Some of my favourite examples include Rockledge Farm Woodworks, a small family-operated workshop in Vermont that crafts handmade furniture from fine natural wood. Another is Yoshiaki Imamura who creates beautiful espresso cups inspired by the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Everyday during the campaigns, Bottega Veneta changed its digital billboards, painted murals, sold featured “Bottega” products in store and used its website to promote selected items. Even the gift packs sent to influencers that included the bottegas’ products sparked well-deserved recognition and awareness of the smaller shops.
I hope you enjoyed this look back at luxury ads as much as I did. As a luxury brand you have the power to create an incredible brand world and narrative. Whether it’s craftsmanship, intimate stories and connections, there’s a sense of magic in the work. Luxury marketing has to communicate what makes a brand special and precious. That comes via a spark of inspiration delivered through beautifully crafted assets and compelling storytelling, all born of a sound strategy.
Genna Spiro is head of strategy at TwelveA.M.
