Image of the iconic Tiffany & Co. box
For the first half of 2015, marketers in the jewelry and watch space connected craftsmanship with modernity in terms of technology and social causes.
Brands worked to appear modern and relevant to today’s consumers through mobile applications, high-touch interactions and campaigns that spoke to the masses. Going forward, it is likely that these combined approaches will continue to touch consumers while ensuring a brand remains relevant as technology looks to outpace hard luxury.
Here are the top 10 jewelry and watch brand moments of the first half of the year, in alphabetical order:
Tali Lennox for Cartier’s feature with Refinery29
Cartier, Refinery29’s Dream Catchers
French jeweler Cartier teamed up with Refinery29 to showcase women working to fulfill their dreams in a dedicated feature on the digital media brand’s Web site.
Refinery29 and Cartier worked together to profile five women who have followed their dreams in a variety of different careers for its Dream Catchers feature. Wearing Cartier’s Amulette Collection, the women discussed where their lives have led them and how they have believed in themselves throughout the entire process.
Tali Lennox, Christene Barberich, Amy Sall, Anna Gray and Jen Steele were each shown wearing a piece from Cartier’s Amulette Collection. They spoke about how they made important decisions in their lives and what influenced their careers (see story).
Chanel’s collection on Net-A-Porter
Chanel uses jewelry to test ecommerce
French fashion house Chanel took more steps toward its ecommerce platform with a shop-in-shop on online retailer Net-A-Porter’s site.
Coco Crush, a six-piece fine jewelry collection, launched online prior to being in-store. The soft opening of ecommerce through Net-A-Porter offered Chanel some insight to its consumer’s willingness to buy online.
The collection includes five rings and one cuff, all designed by Chanel’s Studio of Creation (see story).
Chopard’s Happy Diamonds campaign
Chopard #AreYouHappyDiamonds
Swiss jeweler Chopard is displaying how a “happy attitude can change the world” through promotions for its Happy Diamonds collection.
Using a contemporary and modern approach, Chopard’s imagery shows young, energetic women wearing pieces from the Happy Diamonds collection. To appeal to a younger consumer sect, refreshing a campaign with youthfulness in a glamorous and sophisticated way is likely to boost interest among women who previously did not interact with the brand.
For the full-length film effort Chopard worked with three talents to transform the Happy Diamonds spirit into something physical. Chopard worked with fashion photographer and film director Justin Wu to “inject energy and modernism” into the effort, French electronic music producer Etienne de Crécy was responsible for the soundtrack and French choreographer Marion Motin for the performance seen in the video (see story).
Victoire de Castellane and Christian Dior cartoon
Dior’s good luck charms
French couture house Christian Dior is exploring one of its eponymous founder’s good luck charms through a new fine jewelry collection.
The piece, a medallion created by Dior Joaillerie creative director Victoire de Castellane, represents a lucky metal star that Mr. Dior found when the house was established in 1947 and always carried on his person. Dior continuously connects its past and famed founder to modern day interpretations of the brand to avoid straying from its roots while maintaining a sense of modernity.
Each piece is a double-sided medallion. On one side is a diamond set in the center of a rose des vents star of pink gold while the reverse is set with a precious stone representing one of the cardinal directions.
For example, Ms. de Castellane selected mother-of-pearl to represent north, turquoise for south, pink opal for east and lapis-lazuli for west. To further the association to Mr. Dior, the color of the stones selected for the Rose des Vents collection were his favorites (see story).
Fabergé 3D window display at Harrods
Fabergé Easter initiative at Harrods
British department store Harrods transported consumers to the magical world of Russian jeweler Fabergé through an augmented reality window display.
To usher in springtime, the retailer and jeweler also staged an interactive pop-up boutique that celebrates Fabergé’s iconic egg shape March 3-28. The Brompton Road window displays and the pop-up were linked to create an immersive experience for consumers that drew attention to the jeweler’s designs and Harrods’ offerings.
Fabergé’s Brompton Road window displays included an artistic three-dimensional moving project of a man-sized egg, the symbol of life and rebirth. Consumers were encouraged to visit the Faberge Interactive Desk to select various patterns and colors to customize the projection (see story).
Gucci’s new smartwatch with Will.i.am
Gucci entries into wearables
Italian fashion label Gucci is taking on the latest technology with a new smartwatch created in collaboration with rapper Will.i.am.
With many tech and luxury brands introducing their own smartwatches and smart bands, it makes sense that Gucci is getting in on the trend while it is still fresh. Working with a celebrity will help the product stand out and appeal to a wide range of consumers, giving Gucci an edge over its competitors.
Gucci and Will.i.am announced their new collaboration at Baselworld, an international watch and jewelry show that takes place annually in Basel, Switzerland. The Italian fashion label will be working with i.am+, Will.i.am’s consumer product brand that specializes in fashionable technology, or as Will.i.am calls it “fashionology” (see story).
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Moonphase app
Jaeger-LeCoultre moonphase app
Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is helping owners set their watches’ moonphase complications without a trip to the boutique through a new mobile application.
Available for Apple devices, the “JLC Moonphase” provides owners of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches with tutorials to correctly set the moonphase complications on their timepiece. Producing an app that helps the consumer with maintenance may be a more welcomed download compared to one that simply pushes ecommerce or heavily showcases timekeeping technology.
For Set my Moonphase, the user can select between 18 Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces, including its Atmos clocks. When a watch or clock is selected, the app loads a slideshow that automatically beings, in a loop, to show the user how to align his watch with the device’s camera. When the picture is taken, the app then walks the users through the steps to correctly set the moonphase (see story).
Swarovski rewards app
Swarovski loyalty app
Precision cut-crystal maker Swarovski is elevating the customer experience across channels with a new rewards mobile application.
Loyalty programs become effective when consumers use them frequently and for a range of purposes. Swarovski is ensuring regular use with “Sparkly” rewards or “Sparklisms” that can be earned for a variety of activities and exchanged for prizes.
The Swarovski Rewards “Just Because” app synchronizes with the brand’s loyalty rewards programs, but supplants older forms by providing more and easier ways to interact.
Most importantly, the app introduces the concept of “Sparkling.” The more consumers interact with the app, the more they “Sparkle” and the more rewards they accrue (see story).
Tag Heuer’s tennis match was widely shared on social media
Tag Heuer tennis broadcast
Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer is using the latest live-streaming technology to share fun and exciting events with its followers.
The brand hosted a tennis match outside its store on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, pitting brand ambassadors Maria Sharapova and Nei Nishikori against each other for a lighthearted game. The match between Ms. Sharapova and Mr. Nishikori was part of Tag Heuer’s “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” campaign that highlights the achievements of professional individuals with stressful careers.
During the match, Tag Heuer shared a live stream on Periscope, the popular mobile application that many luxury brands have embraced in recent months. The stream was available for viewers to watch around the world, giving Tag Heuer the opportunity to reach a wide range of consumers who were unable to attend the event in person (see story).
Image of the iconic Tiffany & Co. box
Tiffany & Co,’s “Will You?” campaign
U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co.’s spring 2015 advertising campaign features a same-sex couple for the first time in the brand’s history.
The “Will You” campaign includes seven photographs of different couples in various stages of their romantic relationships, captioned with text that expresses their love for one another. One of the images is of a homosexual, male couple about to commit to marriage and exchange engagement rings.
Tiffany’s campaign takes a modern look at love and marriage, acknowledging that many families today are not as traditional as they once were.
The campaign seeks to convey that every romantic relationship is unique and beautiful in its own way, just as every Tiffany’s engagement ring and wedding band has its own spark. Tiffany celebrates all kinds of relationships and is able to provide the perfect ring for each and every one (see story).
Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter on Luxury Daily, New York