Sometimes we need to escape from it all. Watching shows about the mega-wealthy, pinning fabulous designer clothes on Pinterest, or planning what you’d eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant…
As well as a source of escapism, luxury brands can also provide inspiration for everyday video marketing campaigns. In this post, we take a look at the techniques used by some luxury brands, and some key takeaways for you and your video marketing team.
Don’t Make a Commercial
Rather than adopting the hard-sell approach, a softer method will likely be more effective. Telling a story will engage the viewer more than simply listing the great qualities of the product or service you are promoting.
Although the scriptwriting team in this short marketing film by BMW focused on storytelling, you can’t help but notice the great features of the vehicle:
You almost wouldn’t know the video above is a commercial! You probably won’t have a big Hollywood name like Madonna in your production. However, that shouldn’t prevent you and your team from scripting an interesting, memorable story.
Show viewers the great attributes of the product. Don’t tell them.
Make it Beautiful
When it comes to beautiful videos, you can’t help but be inspired by L’Odyssée de Cartier by luxury jeweler and watchmaker, Cartier.
If there was ever an example of gorgeous, irreverent branding, this might be it:
The famous Cartier leopard is a symbol of luxury, so why not keep this in mind when planning your next video? There’s no need for a real leopard – any high-end abstraction of your brand, or a central aspect of it, would work.
Furthermore, the computer-generated dragon in the Cartier video adds a lot of unexpected drama to the video. It’s both mysterious and intriguing.
Excitement, intrigue and alluring jewels all combined to make this video quite the success. It drove 4X more engagement when shared on social, and led to highly positive brand associations as well.
Rich colors, beautiful music and, if appropriate, some dramatic special effects will highlight the luxurious aspect of any product.
When it comes to adding drama to your video marketing, go all out. Make it the stuff of dreams!
When the marketing video above was first released on the Cartier website, it was possible to click on the products for a full product description and a link to buy. With SproutVideo, you can dramatically boost engagement by offering post-play call to action options that enable you to add links and images after the video.
Focus on Craftsmanship
Luxury brands are defined by superior quality, craftsmanship and design. These are the elements that videographers tend to focus on.
The team behind the Leica hand-polishing video marketing campaign took the principle of superior craftsmanship, and bravely made this the focus of their video:
In a video marketing campaign, the goal is to find an attribute that differentiates the product or service from competitors, and make it a feature of the video.
For example, if the product is handmade, why not make a video showing a craftsperson at work? Whether or not you are marketing a luxury brand, this approach shows customers that purchasing the product or service is money well-spent.
Research is key to making compelling videos about the unique aspects of the brand or product featured in your video marketing campaign. Get as close to the customer or end-user as possible. What motivated them to pick your solution or product over any others? What specific problem does it solve for them? How does it make them feel when they use it? What does it enable them to achieve?
Don’t fret if you can’t talk to actual customers or users. Talk to those on the front-lines of support, customer success, or sales. They’ll have the inside scoop on how customers talk about the product. Even better, they might be able to provide valuable anecdotes as inspiration.
Behind the Scenes
Everybody likes a ‘warts and all’ behind-the-scenes video. The scene when the CEO flubs their line, or that unintentional double entendre, makes us feel like the people in the commercial are just like us.
However, that’s not always the impression you want to create when you’re producing a behind-the-scenes video that aspires to luxury:
The Dolce & Gabbana behind-the-scenes video for its Light Blue perfume and aftershave is as glamorous as the commercial itself. In fact, it’s another opportunity for the videographer to reinforce the message that the product is sophisticated, luxurious and an opportunity for customers to share some of the charisma of the models in the commercial.
From the beautiful scenery to the choice of music, your behind-the-scenes video should be controlled and restrained. This is not the time for frantic music or footage of employees goofing around. Instead, you are giving your viewers something to aspire to.
Using the techniques adopted by luxury brands, video marketing can be used to help extend a brand’s reach, build lasting relationships with new and existing customers, and encourage excitement around promotions.
If you want to share any tips on video marketing techniques that you have adopted from luxury brands, share them with the SproutVideo community on Twitter, or in the Comments section below!
