Alessandro Michele is a genius, not only as a creative, but as a brand thinker. He has reinvented Gucci for a new era, unafraid to challenge the very nature of what constitutes a luxury brand, who they market to, where they show up, how they behave...
Their recent partnership with 3D Avatar company, Geenie allows customers to create their own virtual self, via which they can try on new clothes and styles.
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Last year, they launched a Gucci Arcade feature on its mobile app, giving users the opportunity to play retro-style games in exchange for Gucci digital badges.
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They collaborated on a watch with esports organisation Fnatic. Limited to 100 pieces, the timepiece set fans (which Fnatic boasts around 15 million of) back £1150.
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They then invited them to the front row of their autumn/winter 2020 menswear show at Milan Fashion Week.
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They partnered with mobile game, Tennis Clash, that allowed fans to buy outfits that mirror those on screen from the Gucci website.
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They released an AR sneaker app that lets customers virtually “try on” their Ace sneakers collection as well as sharing their snaps via text, email, or social media.
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They opened a futuristic factory called the Gucci ArtLab, where artisans come and create Gucci products by hand in a space that brings together cutting-edge machines with old-fashioned craftsmanship.
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They looked beyond models for their AW20 and Epilogue presentations, enlisting their atelier team instead.
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They've expanded their collabs in new and surprising directions...
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They partnered with The RealReal to launch an online shop featuring pre-loved Gucci items and promote circularity for luxury fashion.
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They've brought together tastemakers, both old and new, creating a perfect cocktail of influence and style.
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Back in 2019, they teamed up with Gucci Mane for a brilliantly meta campaign to showcase a “glam-meets-gangster” aesthetic that also appeared to be the party of the century.
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And after copying a Dapper Dan design in 2018, they apologised and ended up partnering with the famed Harlem designer on an on-going collab collection, as well as helping him to reopen his studio, which was shut down in 1992.
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Gucci shifted from a typical luxury exclusive 'you can't sit with us' approach, to an atypical inclusive approach - building bridges and feedback loops with new partners, new niches, new communities and new tastemakers.
Opening up the brand, rather than closing it off.
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All of this is just a snapshot, but it goes to show that investing in the new, experimenting, breaking the rules, exploring the evolving intersections of tech & creativity and building for new audiences with new needs can really pay off
Right now, I’m lucky enough to be working with a superstar athlete in the NBA to build his brand, kickstart his fandom and to explore how a basketball team can evolve into a multifaceted entertainment franchise.
I am learning a lot and having SO much fun in the process.
But this isn’t something that only this particular NBA player should be spending time and energy on, it’s of critical importance for all athletes (and celebrities).
In a recent study, it was revealed that just 53% of Gen Zers identify as sports fans.
It means that young people are dropping out of the sports complex, they’re less interested in watching live games, in following teams, in buying tickets or in supporting the growth of the leagues.
I sat down with @apierno for his ‘The Strategy Inside Everything’ podcast to talk about fandoms, the new dynamics of creative control and how brands can tap into these shifting behaviours and expectations.
When it comes to the concept of 'community', most brands and marketers see it purely as building a following who they can then broadcast out to on a regular basis, without having to shell out more and more ad-cash to reach them.
But they're missing an important point...
True communities are not passive recipients of communications, they are peer-to-peer, participative players, with whom you can create insanely valuable feedback loops, which help to drive the brand and business forwards.
They are GENERATIVE.
An incredible example of this is Spotify's 'Rockstars' program, a close-knit community of 50 of their most avid fans who not only love the product but who are helping to drive it in new and exciting directions.
In a talk I did earlier this year about big entertainment trends that were rapidly reshaping the wider landscape, I mentioned that the boundaries between content, commerce & community would soon be blurring into one.
Well, I wasn't far off...
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This fantastic deep-dive presentation details the new formula that makes up what they've coined 'interactive ecommerce' - combining recommendation, community & entertainment.
It then delves into the best example of it in the world today, Pinduoduo
The advertising industry should be quaking in their boots right about now.
Because they are being intensely squeezed on all sides - creativity, content & distribution
And I'm willing to bet that most can't even see what's happening & how fast it's coming around the bend
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On one side, you've got the Gen Z/TikTok creators who are making their own insane content with unrestricted imagination, limitless experimentation & platforms that can push it out to millions, making them an overnight success.
On the other side, you've got gigantic content & distribution powerhouses getting into the agency game, bypassing the industry players & offering brands everything they'd want & more, all tied up with a shiny bow.