Something is happening in the fashion world and especially in fashion branding. An apparently superficial phenomenon, but one that tells us a lot about this market: from image, fashion is becoming a story.
Unique fashion branding now loves stories
The protagonists of this transformation in fashion branding were fashion films in the first place: short films, often commissioned from leading directors, in which clothing is omnipresent but not the protagonists, at the most, they are compressed. The story, the actors (often stellar) and the set design (a blast) lead the way.
As objectives, the fashion film does not stray too far from fashion photography: to show the clothes and tie them to a specific and unforgettable mood. The advantages for fashion branding, however, are numerous:
- the game of cross-referencing with the world of cinema widens the potential audience, also by virtue of the director’s fame;
- the video allows to tell a richer, more articulated and therefore more memorable reality;
- finally, the video is a much more suitable tool for digital diffusion, therefore essential to bring the messages of fashion to the millennial audience.
Let’s see some examples.
This growing familiarity of fashion with the story, matured over the years, has recently begun to expand its domain. Before, in fact, it was limited to the fashion films we talked about: in many cases, products distinct from product communication.
Today, however, this language comes ever closer to product communication. Think of the Gucci AW 2017 collection, entirely set in a retro-futuristic universe where models become unlikely aliens. The world of reference here has widened to include collection shots, other than fashion movies.
It’s no coincidence that Gucci is enjoying considerable favor among millennials, accustomed to consuming stories, no matter how absurd. Any numbers? According to the WSJ, 55% of Gucci’s sales are attributable to the millennials. In addition, in the first quarter of 2018 (so immediately after the “alien” campaign) sales grew by 46%. This is not by chance, because it seems that creative director Alessandro Michele hired a real “millennial commission” to evaluate the creativity of the house. A very dedicated approach to fashion branding.
Or, let’s take the case of Zegna, who presented his latest collection with a serial story featuring two super-actors of the caliber of Javier Bardem and Dev Patel, as two friends who meet on the streets of Madrid. The videos are part of the series “Defining Moments” that had already seen Robert De Niro as a protagonist last year, but the interesting thing is that on Facebook and Instagram these videos are in fact an animated catalogue, because they are used in shoppable format: that is, with links to the product pages of all the garments that appear on the screen.
What does that tell us? That fashion branding today can no longer focus solely on aesthetics, an element that for the Instagram generation is overabundant and cheap. To add value, they must create stories and invent worlds. In short, they must involve external elements, perhaps “aliens” to the fashion world, in their creativity. Because only by contaminating themselves will they remain relevant.
Can You Turn a Business Around With Branding?
65% of businesses fail within 10 years, proof that it’s not easy to turn a business around. Could branding be an untapped resource to traverse treacherous waters?
READ MOREWhat’s Included in a Brand Identity Package?
As you set up your brand or refresh an existing one, the brand identity package is a crucial part of the work. But do you really know what you are expected to find inside?
READ MOREHow to Nail Your Brand’s About Us Page
The humble About Us page is sometimes overlooked in favor of the flashy homepage. But this corner of the website is far from useless. Here’s how you can make it work.
READ MOREWhat the Best Branding Agencies Do Right
What do the best branding agencies have in common? Not necessarily their style or approach, of course, but a set of values that delivers outstanding work.
READ MORE6 Luxury Branding Dos and Don’ts
Luxury branding is – in a sense – a league of its own, with its own dos and don’ts. The luxury audience has very precise expectations, and you’d better not break them.
READ MORECan you expand a small business with branding?
If you are looking to expand a small business, you have several ways to do that. Maybe you haven’t been thinking about branding, though. We explain why it might actually help your efforts.
READ MOREIs brand purpose really so important?
Everybody seems to be talking about brand purpose today. But while the keyword might be fashionable, businesses need to think hard about what it really means for them.
READ MOREThe importance of brand characters as part of brand identity
Have you ever considered the idea of tying your brand identity to a fictional character? It might sound like an obsolete choice, but numbers might just change your mind.
READ MOREWhere to start to build your personal branding
Turning yourself into a brand scares most people, especially because it’s hard to figure out how to differentiate oneself. And yet the answer might be easier than you think.
READ MOREHow to set your communication strategy if you have a “boring” brand
Not all brands are Nike or Burger King. But this doesn’t mean you should just put up with being “boring”. Just the opposite: it’s always possible to be interesting, as long as you have the right communication strategy.
READ MOREWhat brands should learn from gaming culture
Once considered a niche phenomenon, gaming is today the driving force in the world of entertainment, but most of all a culture that unites billions of people. And one that brands should watch carefully.
READ MOREIs your brand truly ready for the Italian market?
If you are thinking of expanding your business to the Italian market, make sure your brand can match the expectations and mindset of the locals.
READ MOREThe brand touchpoints your strategy shouldn’t overlook
The experience a client has of a brand is the result of many concurring elements. We often focus on only some of these, missing some precious opportunities.
READ MOREWhat makes a good brand story
Storytelling. Easier said than done. What does it mean for a brand to “have a good story”? And how do you build one?
READ MOREBranding across cultures: how to make it work (a true story)
As we get used to global brands, we tend to overlook the challenges of bringing a brand to a different culture from its own. Here are some pitfalls and solutions.
READ MOREHow relevant is nationality for a global brand?
In a global market, the national roots of a brand can add value. As long as you can leverage them in the right way.
READ MOREYour brand won’t work without a company culture
Companies are not black boxes, but entities that the world can see. What happens inside them contributes to defining their brand.
READ MOREHow to get a brand naming right and survive
Naming a brand might be one of the most exciting journeys, but also one of the most distressing. Some advice to avoid it going downhill.
READ MOREHow to think about content strategy for a luxury audience
Luxury brands can’t bask in the glow of that one-off commercial anymore. To connect with their audiences they must produce content. A lot of it.
READ MOREHow do you create a luxury brand today?
As all brands struggle to understand the evolving customer, luxury brands have the most daunting task: ushering their intangible values into a new era.
READ MOREStrategy for jewelry brands: do you know your audience?
Jewelry customers differ wildly. Knowing who is going to buy your jewels makes all the difference for structuring your brand.
READ MOREFashion websites should be digital trips
Fashion brands have a long experience in breaking rules, inspiring us and taking us to distant worlds. Why does this not happen on digital?
READ MOREHow do you design a luxury logo?
Entering the luxury market is not an easy feat to accomplish for a brand. Attempting it with the wrong logo can be an utter disaster.
READ MOREDo fashion brands really need copywriting?
Fashion brands are traditionally very scrupulous about visuals in their communication. Does this leave out words?
READ MOREHow to choose the best branding agency for your project
Creating a brand is such a sensitive matter, you will want to make sure you pick the right partner for the job. Here’s what to look for.
READ MOREHow to define a brand tone of voice you will actually use
Tone of voice is essential for your brand identity, but will you ever use that nice document or will it just sit somewhere on your hard disk?
READ MOREHow we created a boutique branding agency
Sublimio’s founder Matteo Modica shares his experience in starting and developing a boutique branding agency over the years.
READ MORECan small business really avoid developing a brand strategy?
For smaller brands it might be tempting to skip strategy and just get a bloody logo. But cutting corners might backfire.
READ MOREWhat can a boutique branding agency do for you?
Does branding require a large agency? Not really. Here is what brands can expect when working with a boutique.
READ MOREDo you need a logo design? 11 tips to write the brief
A complete briefing helps the designer to work better and faster, and the company to get the logo it had in mind. Here are 11 essential points.
READ MORENew logo vs. logo restyling: what is the best choice for a brand?
Like a custom-made suit, even a logo ages. And here the doubt often arises: change it completely or opt for a restyling?
READ MOREWhat designers don’t tell their clients
There’s nothing more dangerous than a designer who just says yes. I say this as a designer, but I do it in the interests of my customers.
READ MOREThe basic reasons why your brand is not working
When a brand doesn’t work every communication initiative is accompanied by enormous efforts. Here are some possible causes (and solutions).
READ MOREShould luxury brands leave social networks?
A complete briefing helps the designer to work better and faster, and the company to get the logo it had in mind. Here are 11 essential points.
READ MOREWhen a professional designer works for free
Are there situations in which it is legitimate, permitted or simply reasonable to adapt one’s professionalism to the context?
READ MOREFive things I learned about creative work in 2018
Why are all fashion logos in the world becoming the same?
Why fashion logos suddenly became identical? In my opinion, it’s not because of designers’ laziness.
READ MOREWill digital flatten the world of luxury?
Beware: you’re already doing personal branding (even if you don’t do anything)
Some of us believe in it, others despise it. But all of us are doing personal branding, constantly. We just don’t realize it.
READ MOREThe brand and the founder’s effect
Is it obvious that a brand should reflect the nature of the founder? The answer is blurred and comes from my personal experience.
READ MOREYou read what we think.
Now see what we can do.