Boucheron’s Trésor de Perse necklace
French jeweler Boucheron is taking consumers on a visual journey to discover its latest high-jewelry collection by posting short videos on Instagram that show details of the pieces.
With many jewelry brands turning to Instagram to display new collections, Boucheron will likely stand out among competitors by going beyond images. Although the clips average 14-seconds, the quick format may appeal to consumers pressed for time, but interested in seeing the pieces.
“When executed properly, video can enhance the allure of luxury products which are, by definition, a rarer site to see in the wild,” said Nicholas Perold, vice president of strategic development at Carrot Creative, New York. “Unfortunately, since video is a more detailed representation of a product than a photograph, video can also undermine the intrigue of a luxury product by depicting the product ‘warts and all.’
“Boucheron’s videos span a spectrum of high production to organic, but the most recent ones tend towards an unflattering cinéma verité that leaves the viewer thinking, at best, ‘Pretty! Look how it sparkles!’ and at worst, ‘That’s it? The earrings jangle just like my H&M earrings. What’s the big deal?’” he said.
“For what Boucheron gains from the videos by way of sparkle, I think they lose far more through the awkward sounds of ambient white noise and footsteps on the floor of boutique. That doesn’t feel luxurious – that feels common.”
Mr. Perold is not affiliated with Boucheron, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Kering-owned Boucheron did not respond by press deadline.
A new view
Beginning on July 7, Boucheron used its social media accounts to draw attention to its latest high-jewelry collection, Rêves d’Ailleurs, meaning “Dreams of,” by inviting consumers inside its Paris boutique on Place Vendôme.
On Facebook and Twitter, Boucheron shared a short video clip, posted originally to its Instagram account, that sets the stage for the high-jewelry unveiling. In the clip, Boucheron takes the viewer inside its private salon where display cases line a wall in a ornately decorated room.
Boucheron’s private salon, Instagram video still
In the next three posts, Boucheron touts designs from the Rêves d’Ailleurs high-jewelry collection. For instance, a clip posted on July 8 gives a sneak peek of the Rêves d’Ailleurs pieces set up inside Boucheron’s private salon.
The post explains that the Rêves d’Ailleurs collection is meant to pay homage to founder Frédéric Boucheron’s son Louis’ journeys and the precious stones that have made the house famous.
To improve visibility, Boucheron also included the hashtag #HCFW and #PFW to be included in the conversations during Haute Couture Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.
Instagram post from Boucheron
The following posts are broken down into five journeys to represent each piece in the collection. As of press time, Boucheron had only posted two of the five journeys, all of which represent different countries visited by Mr. Boucheron.
Boucheron’s Trésor de Perse journey celebrates the relationship between the jeweler and the Iranian imperial family and its crown jewels. The 13-second clip shows the full Trésor de Perse suite which includes a ring, necklace and earrings made with chalcedonies, sapphires, diamonds and rock crystal.
The blue tint of the pieces was inspired by the indigo mosaic tiles at the Great Mosque in Isfahan. Boucheron used a personal sketch of Mr. Boucheron’s from his trip to Persia to create the pieces.
Trésor de Perse necklace, Instagram video still
Next, Boucheron promoted the Rives du Japon aspect of the Rêves d’Ailleurs collection that symbolize the “diversity and luminosity of water.” The jeweler used designs from its archive dating from 1910 to create two different necklaces, Ricochet and Rivage, and a cuff bracelet.
These diamond and sapphire designs were inspired by Japanese Ukiyo-e artist, Hokusai, a master of creating “pictures of the floating world.”
Rives du Japon Rivage necklace, Instagram video still
Boucheron’s other three journeys in the Rêves d’Ailleurs collection visits Chinese calligraphy in the Pinceau de Chine series, the frozen plains of Russia in the Splendeurs de Russie line and the mythical white water lilies of India in the Fleur des Indes pieces.
Elements of the past
The french jeweler has often looked to its own heritage when revamping collections.
Each piece of Boucheron’s Hôtel de la Lumière high-jewelry collection was an updated recreation of a historic piece found in Boucheron’s archives (see story).
This reverence for its history extends beyond high-jewelry to express its founding narrative.
Boucheron immersed consumers in the 120-year history of its headquarters at 26 Place Vendôme through an interactive digital experience.
The brand flaunted its Paris-based “Hôtel Particulier” workshop and boutique space that was chosen by founder Frédéric Boucheron in 1893 due to his fascination with the way sunlight hit the building. Boucheron called on Jo Lynn Alcorn, New York artist and creator of Paper Art, to create a paper representation of 26 Place Vendôme that serves as the framework to the new “B Moments” digital anniversary campaign (see story).
While some experts feel that a quick video is appealing to busy, affluent consumers, others feel that the limited time may be prevent brands from conveying enough.
“Video will never succeed in creating the ‘thumb-stopping’ experience on Instagram that a photo will,” Mr. Perold said. “That said, in general, shorter videos that are quicker to create a pay-off for the user will succeed over longer format videos.
“Instagram limits video length to 15-seconds – it’s a rare brand that can create a compelling video in anything under that time frame,” he said.
Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York