What does it take for a brand to go viral today?

What happened Among the designer debuts and celebrity cameos on this season’s fashion week circuit, brands are doubling down on viral stunts to drive visibility. While spectacles have reached fever pitch over the past couple of years – including Coperni’s spray paint dress and Schiaparelli’s “taxidermy” gown – this hasn’t deterred brands from jostling for the most Internet clout. But, in 2024, it takes more than shock value to stoke buzz. This season, brands have been rethinking their approach to generating engagement amid a highly saturated field – for Chopova Lowena, an unexpected collaboration with Hellmann’s mayonnaise was the course of action, while for the likes of Eckhaus Latta and Avavav, the focus was on reinventing the runway wheel. In Latta’s case, the NYFW fixture staged a surprise dinner party-turned-catwalk, where members of the audience, including Ella Emhoff, stylist Dara, Ssense’s Steff Yotka and actress Jemima Kirke, were plucked from their seats to take on the role of runway models. The show garnered impressive online traction, with many a fashion insider sharing the moment via their own social media accounts. As for Beate Karlsson’s Avavav, aka the maestro of viral runway moments, the brand celebrated its new collaboration with Adidas by showing models attempting to run the 100m in under nine seconds. Avavav has seemingly cracked the code to blending spectacle with substance; the label’s FW24 show, for example, went viral for its bold visuals, but the real impact lay in its sharp critique of fast fashion’s superficiality. The Jing Take A well-executed stunt at fashion week can reap big rewards for brands, says Launchmetrics CMO Alison Bringé. “A single viral moment can dramatically boost an event's performance and leave a lasting impression on consumer consciousness,” Bringé adds, “making brands' competition in today's saturated fashion week calendars more intense than ever.” Tommy Hilfiger’s star-studded blockbuster SS23 show, for instance, garnered $9.7 million in Earned Media Value (EMV), according to data from influencer marketing platform Lefty. Coperni’s spray-paint dress, meanwhile, racked up $20.8 million in media impact value (MIV), while Eckhaus Latta’s impromptu runway has earned the brand $869,000 so far, as per data from Launchmetrics. But the pace at which viral stunts have accelerated on the runway is already prompting audience fatigue. Spectators have become more discerning over which brands are using viral moments to cash in, versus creative liberty, this past year. Dior’s inclusion of archers on its SS25 PFW runway, for instance, barely made a ripple across China and the West’s online fashion community. As a result, brands are turning to the weird and wacky to recapture attention. For London Fashion Week’s Lowena, partnering with a mass market, non-fashion item like Hellmann’s might seem like it makes no sense – but that’s exactly the point. The more absurd the stunt, the better its chances of cutting through today’s meme-driven online culture. That said, brands need to be careful as to not veer too far into the spectacle, or become overly dependent on generating online buzz, says Bringé. While independent players like Lowena and Avavav have creative freedom to break the mold, the stakes are higher for established megabrands. It’s why stunts from indie labels, such as Sunnei’s SS24 show – where the audience was invited to vote on the looks via score paddles – tend to land better, compared to more orchestrated spectacles that rely heavily on star power and flashy displays. Stunts can be a powerful driver for brand awareness during fashion week. But they're far from a complete strategy. “Success isn't solely defined by a short-term spike in brand value,” Bringé adds. “In the end it’s about understanding your audience and aligning your efforts with what makes sense for your brand.” The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

What does it take for a brand to go viral in 2024?

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What does it take for a brand to go viral in 2024?