While reviewing the 2020 Spring/Summer Gucci ad campaign Of Course a Horse, it’s strange but with good reason. When we think of luxury, what usually comes to mind are the lives of celebrities and the rich: the elite who drive around in Ferraris and Teslas and hold their own yacht parties. In the brand universe, there is Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Hermès to name a few, but what separates them from other brands? One factor is their innate ability to use stories to tell their history, culture, and mission. Through a seemingly paradoxical advertisement campaign, Gucci is crafting an emotionally compelling narrative to drive consumer demand.
According to The Luxury Strategy, luxury brands do not communicate to sell, rather, they communicate to create the dream and “recharge the brand’s value” (Bastien & Kapferer 2012). Advertising from a luxury brand is meant to bring consumers into the brand universe and communicate the dream.
Using the Gucci campaign, Of Course a Horse, as an example, at a glance, Gucci’s advertisement is simply a quirky video. In reality, it is one of the many examples of brands creating their universe. According to the Luxé Expose, horses are a symbol of freedom, and by putting horses and their human friends in paradoxical situations, it supports this idea of finding freedom through fashion (2020).
Gucci’s brand personality is daring and exciting, valuing individuality. By creating these unconventional scenarios, Gucci shows consumers how the brand challenges traditional norms and, as stated by the online luxury magazine Lux Exposé,“breaks the cage” through one’s style (2020). The commercial, therefore, is not focused on the clothes, but on the feelings that the brand provides. Furthermore, something can be said about how the brand portrays its models. There are horses at car washes, car rides, beaches, and breakfast tables to name a few. Despite the odd settings, the models act like doing these activities with a horse is normal. This introduces the idea that beauty and style are truly dependent on the individual. The empowered, individualistic mindset can certainly apply to fashion and becomes relatable with consumers who resonate with those values, establishing a relationship on a deeper level than its product line.
The 2021 Corporate Activism Report found that 63% of global consumers prefer buying goods and services from companies that “stand for a purpose that reflects their values and beliefs” rather than businesses that do not. Today, more customers resonate with brands that have clear, unique identities that support their values. This is an art that luxury brands have been perfecting for decades, which makes their advertisement campaigns a very interesting source of study, as they all contribute to crafting very different brand images.
Gucci’s decision-making wasn’t simply to make a creative advertisement. In essence, it is part of the puzzle that makes Gucci a largely successful luxury empire.