Gucci is trying to redefine the form, meaning and strategy of Chinese New Year marketing with its 2022 Chinese New Year collection.
In preparation for the upcoming Year of the Tiger in China, Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele "flipped" the tiger pattern from the brand's archives and reinterpreted it. While paying tribute to the brand's history, he also reflected on the natural things that have long inspired the brand and his own designs, resulting in this 2022 Chinese New Year GUCCI TIGER Collection. Therefore, "GUCCI TIGER" is not a "new creation" of the brand design, but a long-term existence in the brand archives of the classic elements, using the "GUCCI TIGER" caused by the extensive brand memory, Alessandro Michele for the outside world to bring a clear clue to explore the history of the brand, and for the brand's visual image to bring a new highly recognizable design element.
2022 Chinese New Year GUCCI TIGER Treasures SelectEd Series Advertising Image Blockbuster
In addition, "GUCCI TIGER" has been tested by the market, and there is a deep emotional imprint in the traditional high-net-worth consumer group, and its probability of re-popularity through reinterpretation is obviously higher than that of its newly created design elements. Therefore, "GUCCI TIGER" not only fits the framework of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger, but also resonates with the culture of most consumers. Under the unified brand aesthetic system, consumers are obviously more receptive to the design elements they are familiar with.
Inspired by the late 1960s artist and illustrator Vittorio Accornero, who created the brand's iconic Flora prints, the collection's contemporary print designs – a tiger depicted in pastels is hidden in a gorgeous floral jungle background that breaks the boundaries of past and future time in a playful style, bringing a new style inspiration to the collection. The tiger image in the brand's archives is printed in different colours for jackets, denim apparel and knitwear in different colours, blended with interlocking GG patterns or equestrian-inspired green and green webbing prints, while colour-rich and printed T-shirts and sweatshirts offer even more eye-catching options.
In terms of visual presentation, Alessandro Michele invited photographer and director Angelo Pennetta to conceive a picture of the Spring Festival through his lens.
From the specific product to the advertising vision, we can see that Gucci did not jump out of the year of the tiger and the tiger image, which is the framework of everyone's setting. However, if we put aside the concepts and words such as the Year of the Tiger and the New Year series on the brand promotion, and analyze this series as an ordinary series, we will find that it is more like a long-term plan of a brand, rather than a limited product that is only sold and promoted during the New Year of the Tiger.
The reason why the inference that "the series is more like Gucci's long-term planning" is that whether it is in the series design, marketing or showing the brand development concept, this series reflects Gucci's consistent narrative method and creative presentation method, which not only avoids the sense of rigidity and deliberateness of forcibly associating with the "tiger" in order to fit the theme of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger, but also allows the "tiger" and the natural imagery it represents to be silently integrated into the series of products.
In other words, if there is no Spring Festival time node, this series can still stand alone. This also proves that even though this series is designed with the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger as the original intention and starting point, it still shows the long-term ism of the brand and maintains a high degree of consistency with the brand's consistent narrative output.
In terms of design elements, Tiger is a very important design element in the Gucci brand archives, and it has almost run through the entire history of the brand. The image of the tiger and the image it represents has always existed in the design history of the brand, coupled with Alessandro Michele's "innovative" design approach and long-term attention to natural creatures represented by tigers, so that the tiger image and GUCCI TIGER print in the series can be more naturally integrated into the brand style system.
It should be noted that long before Alessandro Michele, Gucci established a nature-inspired brand style aesthetic in the early days of the brand. The birthplace of the brand, Florence, Italy, means "City of a Hundred Flowers" in Italian, and as the starting point of the Renaissance, the urban culture of Florence that respects the natural and cultural beauty is also engraved in Gucci's brand DNA. In the course of the century that followed, Gucci also launched a steady stream of products around the theme of nature and everything.
In 1947, for example, Gucci introduced the Bamboo Bag, a bamboo handbag with an oriental aesthetic and natural innovation; in the 1950s, Gucci introduced the classic Renaissance and Leonardo vintage herb print patterns, as well as various animal lifestyle metalwork and silverware; in 1966, Gucci invited the famous Italian painter Vittorio Accornero to paint the classic Floral prints, once released, became the label's signature design, which inspired the prints in this New Year's collection, and in the 1970s, when all designers were still appropriating artistic symbols and using psychedelic prints, Gucci released a collection titled Animals and Printed Totems. In addition, in the 1970s, Gucci also introduced a double tiger head bracelet.
Safari print scarf created by Vittorio Accornero in the late 1960s
Since the brand's own century-old collection has a deep relationship with tigers and natural things, it makes sense for Alessandro Michele, who is adept at "chuang-making", to rediscover these elements to give them the current look.
In addition, the tiger image has also appeared in many series of advertising campaigns of the brand, and the design of tigers, animals, flowers and plants on the show is endless. It can be seen that the tiger to Alessandro Michele is an animal image with a variety of positive images such as oriental aesthetics, companionship and protection, love and loyalty, freedom and bravery, and is one of the carriers that continue the brand style story. As a result, the New Year's collection is also designed in line with the brand aesthetics of Gucci and Alessandro Michele.
Gucci's Pre-Spring '19 series advertising image blockbuster
From a marketing point of view, the series of advertising blockbusters does not overemphasize the "cheesy" reunion scene, but presents the relaxed atmosphere of the gathering of friends, which is undoubtedly more in line with the needs of current Chinese consumers, especially young generation consumers. For most of China's young generation, although the Spring Festival is still the most important traditional Chinese festival in their minds, its traditional cultural significance has long changed in their hearts. The relaxed atmosphere without too much baggage and pressure is instead the form of the Spring Festival reunion they are looking forward to. So in this regard, we can see the sincerity of Gucci in communicating with the younger generation of Chinese people.
Secondly, in online communication, Gucci also continued the consistent star promotion matrix plus social media interaction model.
This time, Gucci invited brand spokespersons, including Li Yuchun, Ni Ni, Lu Han and Xiao Zhan, four of whom appeared in the same frame for the first time in the New Year's advertising campaign, gathering together in the "name" of "Gucci Star Family", just as the Chinese New Year emphasizes "family reunion", conveying the meaning of celebration and reunion, reflecting the expectations for the new year. As Gucci's official Weibo says: "Time and space meet, learn differences, and cherish encounters." A family reunion moment, share a little bit of joy. ”
Gucci invited brand spokespeople, including Li Yuchun, Ni Ni, Lu Han and Xiao Zhan, to join the New Year's advertising campaign
In addition, in order to increase the interaction with netizens and celebrities, Gucci also linked up with 8 celebrities on Sina Weibo to jointly launch the Weibo avatar pendant activity, and the number of related readings of the "GUCCI Tiger Avatar Attack" has accumulated more than 240 million, and the number of Weibo topics related to the #GucciTiger New Year series has accumulated more than 430 million times.
In the circle of friends "Shake out the surprise", netizens can shake out the red envelope cover and the New Year blessing wallpaper, and there are hidden Easter eggs for the red envelope cover to give away the card
In addition to linking celebrities, KOLs and countless netizens online, Gucci has also recently opened the 2022 Chinese New Year series limited time stores in many cities, trying to extend the theme image of the New Year series from online to offline, and in this corner of the offline time-limited space, people can see more creative possibilities, and also allow the offline community to go to each other in the store and understand the creative narrative of Gucci and Alessandro Michele.
According to the brand information, the limited-time store is an immersive display space, a consumer field that can be closely connected with the local community. Inspired by the GUCCI TIGER print in the collection, the shiny GUCCI TIGER light sign evolves into an entrance sign, while the interior is built by light bars to create a natural jungle that contrasts with the black-and-white checkerboard floor, highlighting the theme of the New Year's collection in a jungle-inspired themed space.
2022 Chinese New Year Series Limited Time Store
At the same time, the series also continues the brand's long-term concept of sustainable development. For the first time, the watches in the series are manufactured from a full range of eco-friendly materials, with cases cast from recyclable stainless steel and DEMETRA, a Gucci eco-friendly material with no animal ingredients on the dial and strap, which is mainly derived from sustainable, renewable and bio-based products. In addition, Gucci also provides exclusive packaging designs for the series, including a series of boxes of different shapes and sizes, shopping bags, storage bags, etc., all accompanied by a hanging tag printed with the GUCCI TIGER pattern. All paper and cartons designed for these packages are drawn from sustainable forest management resources and are made of uncoated paper to ensure full recycling.
For the first time, the watches in the series are manufactured from a full range of eco-friendly materials, with a case cast from recyclable stainless steel and demetra, a Gucci eco-friendly material with no animal ingredients on the dial and strap
It is also worth mentioning that during the filming of this series of advertising campaigns, Gucci also invited american humane, a third-party animal welfare organization, to review the animal display environment to confirm that no animals were harmed at the scene. The appearance of the real tiger in the advertising campaign, although it has triggered some criticism from animal protection organizations, it should be pointed out that the appearance of this "real tiger" is not the first time that the brand has done so, and in the previous series of advertisements, many animals have appeared in the advertising vision. The emergence of "it" not only echoes the clothing prints in the series, but also further interprets the belief theme of joy and joy sharing, and continues the brand's consistent visual image.
And more importantly, fashion creativity and visual presentation have never been to please the mass market and mainstream aesthetics, it is a symbol of avant-garde, boldness and freedom, reflecting an imagination and creativity that is higher than real life. Therefore, the "invitation" of tigers in the advertisement is, in a way, a manifestation of Alessandro Michele's free fashion spirit, another embodiment of Gucci's maverick and contemporary modernity.
From design elements to visual presentation, to online omnichannel marketing and complementary offline experience stores, as well as adherence to sustainability, everything Gucci has done around this New Year's collection has actually helped tell a complete brand story. This "Chinese New Year story" has long existed in the brand's history and is in line with the brand's consistent style and values, which is not fundamentally different from Gucci's other projects. In other words, Gucci does not "discriminate" the Chinese market, but uses a global narrative to tell a story of the Year of the Tiger that is suitable for the Chinese market.
If you look further ahead, Gucci's previous New Year series in the Lunar Year of the Rat, the Year of the Dog and the Year of the Pig have received positive responses from the market. The reason for this is that Gucci is good at combining traditional Chinese zodiac culture with design elements that conform to the brand's style aesthetics, while using a full range of online and offline marketing methods to make it easier for the market and consumers to accept these New Year series.
Gucci 2020 Chinese New Year Collection
In fact, we can't blame today's Chinese consumers for becoming more and more difficult to please, only that luxury brands have reached a dead end in the Matter of Spring Festival marketing. Under the years of indiscriminate bombardment, consumers have long been desensitized to the Spring Festival series of luxury brands, no longer easily impressed, and even fiercely pointed out the arrogance of brands towards traditional Chinese culture. Cookie-cutter or insincere is the pain point of their finger-pointing at most of the brand's Spring Festival collections.
On the other hand, with the improvement of the importance of the Chinese market, the Lunar New Year has become one of the most important annual marketing nodes of major luxury brands in the Chinese market, and any brand does not dare to give up this node, because whether it is the Spring Festival or not, each marketing node is an opportunity for brands to deliver brand stories to Chinese consumers.
On the one hand, there is the market coldness after the marketing overload, and on the other hand, there is the internal volume status quo that has to participate and is abandoned by the market once exited. So in this context, it is time for brands to rethink and redefine Spring Festival marketing. Simple element collage, appropriation, and rigidity will only "anger" Chinese consumers who are becoming more and more consumer-conscious and culturally conscious.
The answer given by Gucci is that whether it is advertising creativity, product design, marketing strategy or brand philosophy, Gucci follows its own consistent narrative approach, thus breaking the creative dilemma of Spring Festival marketing and allowing consumers to accept this New Year series that embodies the history of the brand's collection in a natural and smooth way.
From global synchronous festival marketing to traditional festival marketing for China, more and more brands have joined these fiercely competitive festival marketing wars, just because grasping the Chinese market is the consensus of all brands. Then even under the premise of acknowledging that the Spring Festival series cannot bring huge profits, the brand Spring Festival marketing war that has shown a scuffle situation will not be stopped, but in this scuffle, only those brands that can maintain their creativity and narrative unity in the festival-limited series can win. WWD
Content Planning Huayi Tomorrow Fashion Content Center
Written by Jason
Edit Neon
Image source brand official