Loro Piana golf blanket
Italian cashmere brand Loro Piana is channeling Olympic fervor to generate interest in its sports-themed limited-edition blanket collection.
During the month of February, the brand has been promoting its sports blankets on social media, beginning with the one depicting winter sports at the Lake Placid Olympics. Since the Olympics have just ended and other sporting events are starting their seasons, Loro Piana will be able to reach collectors while sports are top of mind.
“Clearly there’s a cold spell happening,” said Rob Frankel, branding expert at marketing consultancy firm Frankel & Anderson, Los Angeles. ”It’s a seasonal item.
“If they were going to try to hook into the Olympics, they’re way late,” he said. “They should have started in Thanksgiving.
“It’s February, spring is coming. Things are going to thaw and warm.”
Mr. Frankel is not affiliated with Loro Piana, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Loro Piana did not respond by press deadline.
Sports fans
Loro Piana first featured its Lake Placid blanket, which shows a snowy scene of winter sports from the 1930’s Olympic Games, in a Facebook post on Feb. 12. This was released towards the beginning of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Facebook post from Loro Piana
In the Facebook post, Loro Piana tells consumers about the inspiration for the blanket, which shows huskies training for the games. The production process gives each blanket a serial number, and once production is complete, the printing pattern is destroyed.
The limited edition nature of the throws will likely prompt serious collectors to hurry to purchase.
A link in the Facebook post takes consumers to the brand’s Web site, where they can “discover more.” The product page shows more details for the blanket and gives consumers the option to purchase the blanket for $5,450.
Loro Piana ecommerce site
Two days later Loro Piana highlighted its Monaco Grand Prix blanket, which shows a 1950’s car race. In the Facebook post, the brand tells consumers about its “passion for historical cars.”
Facebook post from Loro Piana
Loro Piana has multiple classic car crews that compete in races.
On Feb. 18 the brand told consumers about its Wimbledon blanket, followed by its post about its polo blanket three days later. Loro Piana also has an equestrian jumping team, so the polo blanket reflects the brand’s image.
The most recent blanket publicized from the series was posted Feb. 25. It shows golfers at the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland in the 1930’s.
These blankets came out at a time when these sports are starting their seasons.
The International Polo Club kicked off its 2014 season in January, while the modern edition of the Monaco Grand Prix depicted will take place this year in May.
Tennis tournaments are being held currently, but Wimbledon will be held in June this year.
Athlete affiliations
When choosing sports to be affiliated with, it is smart for luxury brands to pick sports with a mostly affluent audience, like polo.
For example, Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre targeted affluent watch enthusiasts in the emerging Latin American market with a sports sponsorship in Buenos Aires, Argentina that likely built brand awareness in the region.
To continue its longstanding involvement with equestrian sports, Jaeger-LeCoultre sponsored the Argentine Polo Open of Palermo Nov. 16 through Dec. 7. A sports sponsorship allows a brand to target a passionate demographic that can be swayed by the affinities of their favorite team or player (see story).
Associating itself with a high profile sporting event can allow a brand to connect to the prestige of the competition.
For instance, U.S. apparel brand Ralph Lauren heightened its association with the United States Olympic team with a video featuring a select group of athlete brand ambassadors.
In the video, the athletes talk about their feelings about participating in the Olympics and representing the U.S. while sporting the apparel Ralph Lauren designed for the team. Ralph Lauren continued its legacy of outfitting the U.S. Olympic team, which gave the brand an opportunity to connect itself to the prestige of the games, and connect with fans following the sporting events (see story).
While there may be a handful of consumers interested in the line, Loro Piana might have done more for its brand to link them to one current sporting event.
“This is probably for the 1 percent of the 1 percent,” Mr. Frankel said. “This is so not mass market, as to be almost oblique.
“When you get into this kind of a market, I don’t even know that brand or marketing has any rhyme or reason.
“In terms of establishing the brand, it’s not really linked to any official sport or sporting event or sporting sponsor,” he said. “There is no brand strategy here, there is no brand expression.”
Final Take
Sarah Jones, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York