With longer sales cycles and drawn-out decision-making, brands in high-consideration categories like luxury travel, designer fashion or automotive need to market not just a product or service but a distinctive experience.
Enter video, which is not only capable of capturing an audience’s attention in just a few seconds but can also be immersive, entertaining, informative and memorable.
Whether long and cinematic or short and punchy, good video creative can achieve emotional resonance (aspiration, identity, connection) and bring consumers closer to a purchase (reducing risk, building loyalty). But which brands in high-consideration categories are doing video creative effectively, and what is it that makes their messaging impactful? Let’s break down some stand-out examples.
Luxury hotel brand Sofitel set out to debut a new social media personality earlier this year, and wanting to capture the interest of younger audiences in particular, it took to short video to do so.
The brand launched Sofitel Encounters, a video series that is playful and creative, combining the brand’s luxury hospitality with short-form cinematic storytelling. According to Xavier Royaux, Sofitel’s CMO, the campaign “blends refined storytelling with engaging and relatable humour to connect audiences in an authentic way on all the platforms they love.”
The series takes the form of entertaining ‘encounters’ between guests or staff at Sofitel’s locations. Every video is delivered as a self-contained episode that delivers humour while highlighting what makes the hotel’s offering special. The videos were serialised across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and in a first for Sofitel, TikTok, marking the hotel’s official entry onto the platform.
Takeaway: The videos show that relatable humour and short, entertaining video can still go hand-in-hand with luxury and refinement – and that bands don’t need to sacrifice storytelling quality to take advantage of bite-size video formats.
@sofitelThe only thing we’ll get out of MY BED for? A luxurious Sleep Menu. Sofitel Encounters: Episode 1, Part III. It’s the finale. (For now.) #Sofitel #SofitelEncounters #SofitelMYBED
An engaging video doesn’t have to be fast-paced or busy. In fact, it can barely have any spoken words and still engage the audience.
Chanel’s “See you at 5” is a video campaign to promote the brand’s No. 5 fragrance. The campaign was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino in 35mm, features Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, and was soundtracked by Daft Punk.
The video hooks the viewer’s attention with a visually striking first shot while the audio and the visuals lead the viewer through the story. Product placement is woven in subtly, while the video’s atmosphere sells the refined sophistication of the brand.
Takeaway: Sound can carry as much weight as visual – so don’t neglect it. The right audio can strengthen a video’s impact and linger in the viewer (and listener)’s mind long after it finishes.
Another excellent example of this can be found in the way that auto brand Lincoln hooked millennials with a ‘mystery song’, explored in our piece on how luxury brands are connecting with new audiences on social media.
It’s hard to go wrong with a good story. Luxury auto brand Lamborghini is consistent in creating Christmas ads that masterfully link the narrative to the brand without feeling at any moment that you’re sold the product.
Their recurring ad campaign ‘A Lamborghini Christmas story’ features everyday stories that are set at Christmas, with the car providing a focal point for interaction, connection, or emotional revelation. However, the true resonance comes from the human story, such as a barber reconnecting with a young customer after many years or a man laying differences to rest with a childhood bully.
While not heavily Christmas-themed, the ads deliver the kind of feel-good messaging that consumers tend to associate with the season, showing the ‘heart’ behind the brand and positioning Lamborghini as a brand that can bring people together.
Takeaway: Engaging video storytelling can sell a brand message without the need for overt product positioning. Brands that are renowned for solid and satisfying storytelling will draw in a wider audience of consumers who anticipate the ads, leading to greater reach and a positive association with the brand.
In the era of short-form video, connection with an audience can happen in a variety of ways.
As brands in high-consideration categories have embraced social video and platforms like TikTok, ad creative has evolved. While polished, cinematic ad spots that reflect a brand’s high quality are still prominent, many have found ways to adapt to the snappier, more unvarnished style favoured by social media and showcase another side to their brand.
But it’s not always necessary to choose between the two. A collaboration between Porsche and BOSS featuring Colombian singer Maluma took a multi-format approach to promote the Porsche x BOSS athleisure collection.
The full campaign video is created in the style of classic luxury or automotive creative with high-quality cinematic video, while shorter and more playful clips on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube engaged a younger audience who wanted to consume bite-sized content.
Takeaway: A multi-channel, multi-format campaign that plays to the strengths of different platforms can offer the best of both (or all) worlds, allowing consumers to encounter your brand, your product, and your community across various touchpoints.
@bossTalk about deep pockets. Change your perspective with Porsche x BOSS featuring @Juan Luis #BeYourOwnBOSS
Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe found an entertaining way to boost brand awareness, play on its long heritage and poke fun at the confusion surrounding how its name is spelled.
‘Decades of confusion’ features Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza in a short film that moves through the decades, featuring looks from Loewe’s archive. The video is funny, creative (with Plaza appearing in a variety of guises as different characters, all equally unable to give the correct spelling) and shows that Loewe is capable of seeing the funny side of its own ‘confusing’ name. As a bonus, it strengthens brand recall by reinforcing the brand name and key facts about its origins.
Takeaway: Loewe successfully played on what made the brand unique – even if not in the way that most would expect. While not every brand has an unusual spelling to lean into, marketers can think outside the box about how consumers relate to and perceive the brand and find ways to reflect that back to them.
Product-focused advertising is a trend that dropped away in luxury for some time in favour of more abstract, meme-driven or irreverent ads – but it’s making a comeback.
As noted by Vogue Business in a recent feature, there is a growing trend for luxury brands to create ads that showcase their craftsmanship, the quality of their products, and the story behind them. In this style, Rolex produced a video that showcases the quality and superiority of its watches, highlighting their authenticity and the sheer skill of their crafters.
The video links brand to product, emphasising that Rolex as a brand is about a relentless commitment to quality – and that this is what customers of Rolex are buying into. It’s a way to demonstrate why Rolex is so renowned in watchmaking – and why buyers are not just getting a name, but a guarantee.
Takeaway: While brand carries a great deal of weight in luxury, a luxury brand is also built on its reputation for an impeccable product or service. Help consumers see what the product or service they’re buying is all about and what it feels like to be part of that experience.
Nostalgia can be a highly effective creative technique when used in the right context. In Mercedes Benz’ ‘Future 2021’ campaign, a 70s setting with period sci-fi tropes is used to highlight the ‘futuristic’ nature of its electric model and drive home how the brand has successfully brought this future to life.
What makes the campaign stand out is its differentiation and unexpected approach to highlighting the product. Rather than simply fall back on sentiment for the brand’s past, Mercedes Benz employs nostalgia to illustrate how it has moved forward. The 70s sci-fi aesthetic will resonate with consumers who remember the era, but also with anyone who has an appreciation for classic tropes.
Takeaway: Brands can showcase heritage or play with nostalgia without seeming stuck in the past – these can also be useful tools for highlighting progress or building anticipation for the future, while still tapping into positive emotions associated with times gone by.
In high-consideration categories, videos play an important role in building and reinforcing a brand and creating an emotional connection that should lead to an eventual purchase.
As a format, videos help consumers reduce the feeling of risk that surrounds making such a big purchase decision. Through watching well-made videos, buyers can connect with the brand, learn more about the product, find a shared identity, and build anticipation for an experience that they can share in if they buy into the same brand.
Quality video creative is not solely about long videos with high production – it can also come through short-form video, well-chosen user-generated content, and the right collaborations with influencers. Brands in high-consideration categories are beginning to embrace the excitement and authenticity of unvarnished, short and social videos that let consumers feel closer to their brand.
At the same time, tried-and-tested techniques like strong visuals, well-chosen audio and emotional messaging still carry as much weight as ever. Ultimately, the key is to find the right hook and play to video’s strengths in bringing the idea to life.