How Luxury Is Reaching Consumers During Lockdown

It may not be the best of times for luxury retail, as stores remain shuttered from the COVID-19 pandemic, but clever marketers are using this forgotten time to forge deep connections. Afterall, with everyone tucked in doors, mobile screen time has skyrocketed, and as data from global research firm Kantar shows, the usage of social media apps have gone up 40 percent. Facebook also recently said that views on Instagram Live have doubled. While doing their part to embrace health guidelines and encourage people to stay home, luxury brands are also attempting to engage with their social audience in an unprecedented amount of efforts. Over the last few weeks, Jing Daily has seen many creative campaigns that provide entertainment and cultural value to their consumers. Here are the five from Loewe, Prada, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, and YSL Beauty that have topped our list. Loewe en Casa — Studio Tours and Demonstration on Instagram Live Loewe en Casa is an ongoing series of online events and workshops taking place via Instagram Live. The project, which focuses on arts and crafts, features past artistic collaborators and Loewe Foundation Craft Prize alumni. The latter group includes Chilean jewelry artist Rita Soto, who held a live studio tour, and Spanish artist Álvaro Leiro, who presented a live weaving demonstration to show age-old Galician basketry and weaving techniques. By giving the consumers a rare look into the artists’ studios and skills, Loewe ultimately wants to show how much it cares about craftsmanship and the people behind it. Prada Possible Conversations — Digital Talks on Instagram Live Other than doing tours and workshops like Loewe, Prada has initiated a series of digital talks connecting great minds in fashion, art, architecture, cinema, and thought to converse with each other, creating an intimate user-experience much like a Zoom call. So far, there have been two sessions, the latest one featuring the artist and filmmaker Francesco Vezzoli and philosopher Emanuele Coccia on “Love in the Time of Coronavirus.” Gucci’s AR-Powered App Relaunch In an era where people don't bother to try on real cosmetics, Gucci’s new AR try-ons of lipstick is offering them a no-nonsense approach. As one of the few luxury players that stayed in the app game, Gucci has been persistent with updates and new features to drive direct e-commerce. Since relaunching the 6.0 version two months ago, the app has already had five updates. Upon entering the interface, users can see what Gucci’s new sneakers, eyewear, hats, and lipsticks look like on themselves via AR try-ons, which they can also use to explore decorating their new workspace/home with Gucci furniture. In addition, users can also play nostalgic arcade games and view a gallery of locations that have cultural connection to the fashion house. Manolo Blahnik’s Smile Initiative — Downloadable Coloring Pages With this initiative, you can download 10 of Manolo’s original shoe sketches and color them in as you would like. But if you think the brand is only tapping into the adult coloring trend, you might need to look again. The sketches, such as Lyonnia sandals from 2001, inspired by Blahnik’s favorite pink garden roses, showcase not only a piece of the designer brand’s identity, but also its history to millennial and Gen-Z consumers. In addition, the initiative is shedding light on the brand’s nonprofit partner, the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, which offers people tips to manage anxiety amid the global pandemic. YSL Beauty Tutorials on Instagram YSL Beauty has boosted its beauty tutorial content in the face of COVID-19. Working with the Dutch makeup artist Celine Bernaerts (286k followers on Instagram), the luxury cosmetics brand offers short tutorials, beauty tips, and make-up practice skills using YSL Beauty products. On Saturdays, the brand throws challenges (#daringtogether) for consumers to learn new looks. Although people are unlikely to wear a bright red lipstick at home, as some posts encourage (“Dare to wear red in the house!”), the skincare routines and natural looks work perfectly for extended time indoors.

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How Luxury Is Reaching Consumers During Lockdown