The use of imaginative storytelling in advertisement is undoubtedly powerful. Within the world of fashion, different brands put out there for all to see what they stand for, their values and how they want customers to be incorporated into their journey throughout this creative process. Storytelling could mean completely different things from one brand to the next. For example, a company’s main drive could be promoting body positivity and celebrating eclectic tastes, or they might want to champion their environmentally friendly materials. Anyway, that’s enough of the business jargon for now. Let’s get stuck into some thoughtfully crafted fashion short visuals, capturing the essence of a handful of brands that subvert, captivate and excite.
To begin with, a brand that has stood the test of time: Levi Strauss and Co. A particular example of how their story is told begins with the famous 505 jeans. Born out of the rich countercultural hippie movement that proclaimed free love and equality, and released in 1967, they were brought to the forefront by numerous 70’s music icons including The Ramones and Blondie. The advertisement for the introduction of the revitalized 505 C jean, in fall 2016, shows how the brand has stayed true to their revolutionary roots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7uXNhcX13g
The inclusion of, ‘tear em’ and similar phrases perpetuates Levi’s rebellious, rock and roll attitude that encourages customers to get hands on. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get in on a slice of that vibe, right? We too, like the peoples behind Levi’s, aren’t afraid of making some noise and shaking things up.
Next on the list is Stoned Immaculate Vintage. Although prices are in dollars and are not nearly within our price range as googly-eyed, shopaholic students, this in no way discourages me from making extensive imaginary online baskets anyway. This is a great follow on from Levi’s, as an example of how a relatively new brand finds the balance between reveling in golden nostalgia, drawing on inspiration from a dreamer, hazier and groovier time, whilst maintaining a relevant and progressive front in the marketplace. Watch the clip on Vimeo here:
So far we’ve looked at how brands have come to dress the body with outside cultural forces or relics of the past. However, H&M’s 2016 autumn ad brings its focus for inspiration back celebrating every aspect of just what it means to be a woman, and channeling that into their clothing. It also presents fashion to us in its every day and raw sense, from riding on the tube, checking ourselves out in the elevator or bathroom mirror to confidently dancing alone in a karaoke bar. I particularly love the lady sassily removing herself from a conversation with two men that seem to shun her, showing how we’re not afraid to show our dissatisfaction and take ourselves out of noiseless conversation. This uplifting video encourages women to embrace every part of what they have to show to the world, unapologetically and with unique style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-RY6fWVrQ0
This article includes predominantly recent videos, in the hopes that it will send you on an obsessive spiral through your favourite brand’s countless campaigns throughout the years. (We know for a fact that we could spend hours on end gawking at such rich and cultural material!) Even after just looking at these select few examples, we can see how the right blend of music, setting, props, message and of course, the amazingly coordinated outfits, can build a whole world of possibilities for fashion brands.