Video still from Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Welcome to the Factory”
Marketers used the medium of video to evoke emotions in viewers, whether eliciting a laugh or tears.
The branded social video has become an art form itself as marketers partner with filmmakers to develop narratives that aim to inspire beyond product. Technology such as virtual reality further places consumers within another world, allowing them to experience branded storytelling in a more immersive way.
Here are the top 10 social videos of the first quarter, in alphabetical order:
Audi R8 V10 plus
Audi’s nostalgic spaceman
German automaker Audi blasted off to showcase its latest vehicle in style.
The Audi R8 V10 plus featured during Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, Feb. 7, a surefire way to get more than a third of the United States population to take notice. A memorable Super Bowl commercial that strikes a chord with consumers can give a brand a long-lasting boost in awareness and generate desire and sentiment
Audi’s commercial focuses on a retired astronaut who learns to embrace life with the help of his new vehicle. Appropriate given the astronaut character, it features a segment of the song “Starman” by David Bowie, who passed away in early January (see story).
Audi R8 Big Game Commercial – Commander – Extended Cut
Liv Tyler in Belstaff’s “Falling Up”
Belstaff’s aerodynamic adventure
British apparel and accessories label Belstaff is lifting awareness for its adventurous DNA by following in the footsteps of fearless and famous client Amelia Earhart.
Actress Liv Tyler produced and stars in the short “Falling Up,” which pays homage to the aviatrix’s insatiable need to fly. Creating a soft launch for the film, the brand debuted the full-length short exclusively on Facebook Feb. 18, delaying the release on other channels until Feb. 21 (see story).
Belstaff Films and Liv Tyler present “Falling Up” (Full Film)
Image from Caruso’s “The Good Italian” episode two
Caruso’s Milanese jaunt
Italian menswear label Caruso is making the case for Italian luxury’s supremacy in a short film set in Milan.
The second episode of its “The Good Italian” series sees the return of the exacting prince introduced in the first edition, documenting his trip to Milan from his country estate in Soragna, Italy. Throughout, Caruso makes parallels between the art of food and fashion as the prince prepares for an important dinner.
The sequel, “The Prince Goes to Milan,” follows a new adventure for the prince, played by Giancarlo Giannini, as he journeys from Soragna to Milan with Fefe in a cherry red Lancia Aurelia Spider B24. While visiting the city, he stays at Four Seasons Hotel Milan (see story).
The Good Italian II – The Prince goes to Milan – starring Giancarlo Giannini
Behind-the-scenes shot of Gisele Bündchen and Lucia Pica
Chanel’s natural tutorial
French fashion house Chanel is teaching consumers how to achieve makeup mastery with the help of supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
In the first in a new series of Chanel Beauty Talks, the model sat down with the brand’s global creative makeup and color designer Lucia Pica to share beauty secrets to “Free Your Glow.” Compared to other makeup tutorials, the designer and model have a natural conversation, allowing their personalities to come through along with their tips and tricks (see story).
Chanel Beauty Talks: Episode #1 Free Your Glow
Dior’s Poison Girl fragrance
Dior’s sultry party
French fashion house Christian Dior is writing a new narrative for its Poison fragrance line in a bid for a younger demographic’s interest.
Developed by Francois Demachy, Dior’s Poison Girl is a new addition to the fragrance range, offering a “sweet floral, scandalously delicious” scent for women with an “alluring and nonchalant femininity.” Using a sultry New York party as a backdrop, the Poison Girl campaign taps into social media culture while exploring the uninhabited femininity of today’s modern woman.
The campaign, starring French-American actress Camille Rowe, was directed by music producer and graphic designer So Me. With a narrative aesthetic geared toward a younger consumer, Dior’s selection of So Me as a directorial collaboration is fitting as he has worked with Justice, Kanye West and Kid Cudi (see story).
Dior Poison Girl – The new fragrance (Official)
Ferragamo Signorina Miseriosa
Ferragamo’s theatrical debut
Italian fashion label Ferragamo is portraying the many roles a Signorina woman plays in her life through a dramatic campaign.
“My Life is a Play” centers on a short film in which model Grace Hatzel embodies all three personalities of the Signorina fragrance line in four minutes, demonstrating the range of interactions that the scents can inspire. Tied to the launch of Ferragamo’s latest women’s scent, Signorina Misteriosa, this effort enables women to explore the scent personalities through performance (see story).
Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina #MyLifeIsAPlay Film
Jean Paul Gaultier’s #BeTheBottle
Jean Paul Gaultier’s cheeky factory
French couture house Jean Paul Gaultier is offering an inside look at the fantastical process behind the creation of its fragrances.
“Welcome to the Factory” is a one-minute tour filled with sailors and corseted models, who flirt, row and strut along the machines to produce Classique and Le Male. While the concept behind a factory may seem counterintuitive for a luxury brand, this humorous short enables Jean Paul Gaultier to once again reveal its brand personality (see story).
The brand has developed a 360-degree experience in which consumers can observe a scene from a fragrance bottle’s point-of-view. Increasingly, brands are debuting experiences that mimic virtual reality, inviting consumers into their inner workings through video (see story).
Jean Paul Gaultier – Welcome to the Factory
Abbey Lee for Kenzo’s Snowbird, spring/summer 2016
Kenzo’s eccentric narrative
Parisian fashion label Kenzo is sharing homemade cake among the residents of California’s Slab City for its spring/summer 2016 collection film.
Directed by Sean Baker, “Snowbird” was filmed entirely with an iPhone and traces the journey of Theo, played by model Abbey Lee, as she traverses through the “debris-scattered [Sonoran] desert community” of Slab City, CA, known for its eccentricity and off-the-grid living. While other fashion houses are moving toward more abstract campaign films, Kenzo’s Snowbird focuses on the narrative and “eschews the glitz and glamour of fashion.”
The fashion label describes the nearly 12-minute film as being “equal parts daydream elegiac wanderlust and subtle comedy” (see story).
KENZO “Snowbird” a movie by Sean Baker
Loki the Wolfdog for Mercedes-Benz USA
Mercedes-Benz’s snowy excursion
Mercedes-Benz USA is transporting consumers to the snowy landscape of Crested Butte, CO with the help of an Instagram-famous pup.
The brand has teamed up with Loki the Wolfdog and his owner Kelly Lund for a 360-degree virtual reality experience, allowing fans of the pooch to follow the pair on their journey. This experience reflects Mercedes’ strategy of showcasing its vehicles in natural scenarios with the help of digital influencers.
This is the first time Loki the Wolf Dog has partnered with a brand on content. The dog’s 961,000 Instagram followers are driven to Mercedes’ virtual reality experience through a link in its bio (see story).
Mercedes-Benz – Loki (360° Experience)
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot
LVMH-owned Champagne house Veuve Clicquot is blending the old and the new to reach a millennial market.
Three films inspired by Madame Clicquot comprise the brand’s first-ever digital advertising campaign, titled “Let Life Surprise You.” When going after a new market, particularly a younger one, it is important both to reach the audience on its native platforms and also to tell the brand story in a quick but engaging way.
To reach a millennial audience and put a modern twist on its heritage, Veuve worked with creative agency Rokkan and director Peter Glanz. Actress Juliette Binoche, known for her roles in a number of French films and the Oscar-winning “The English patient,” provides the voice of Madame Clicquot in the videos (see story).
On Negotiating