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How can jewelry ads leave a lasting impression?
October 31, 2008
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| Model Almudena Fernandez is appearing in images such as this one from H. Stern's fall advertising campaign aimed at self-purchasing women. |
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New York--With advertising pages in the fall fashion magazines bulking up the issues, it's crucial for jewelry brands to make sure it's their ad--and not their competitor's--that catches the attention of page-flipping readers.
To lift one's ad from passe to attention-grabbing, advertising experts say brands should combine striking imagery with to-the-point text that hits viewers on various levels, all while being recognizable and true to the brand.
"The most effective ads have characteristics that affect people on the cerebral level, emotionally, and in the gut--the feeling that 'I deserve this,'" says Peter Madden, founder and president of Philadelphia-based marketing and advertising agency AgileCat.
After perusing a variety of ads, including spreads from H. Stern and David Yurman that have appeared in the fall women's magazines, Madden says he wishes more jewelry companies would take chances.
"None of them seem to want to differentiate," he says. "In the end, it's the same type and tone of ad."
Andrew Sacks, president and chief executive officer of New York-based AgencySacks, which specializes in luxury brands and marketing to the affluent, says that when it comes to fashion advertising, first impressions are crucial.
"You quickly get struck by the similarity and lack of ownable identity," he says, looking through the ads.
Sacks and Madden are both most impressed with Tiffany and Co., which is running ads featuring established model Shalom Harlow and two stars of the modeling world's Generation Y, Lily Cole and Sasha Pivovarova.
The campaign can be seen in different formats, from a two-page spread of Harlow alone in InStyle, to a six-page spread of all three models in Vogue. In each case, a model is featured on the left-hand page, with the facing page carrying a backdrop empty except for a square box in Tiffany's distinctive robin's egg blue. The Tiffany and Co. name is centered in the box, and a tag line reading "Some Style is Legendary" is featured on one page of each spread.
"They know their brand," Madden says of Tiffany. "You can look at these photos and make a pretty good guess and know it's Tiffany."
In addition, through the styling and choice of models, it's clear that Tiffany is reaching out to a wide audience. Pivovarova appears as a young debutante, clutching a vintage Leica camera and sporting stacked diamond bangles and rings. Cole speaks to a bohemian audience, her hair wild and her neck outfitted in a melange of layered necklaces, one featuring a peace-sign pendant. Finally, Harlow rounds out the mix, and with her classic good looks and elegant demeanor, she is the perfect picture of Tiffany chic.
"More than anything, I think it's the photography that's selected, and it makes me feel comfortable that their sense is more in line with the affluent consumer," Sacks says. "It's more sophisticated than some of their work in the past."
When it comes to choosing models who are recognized faces versus those who are more unknown, Sacks says using top models can be a mark of status.
In David Yurman's fall campaign, Kate Moss appears in a variety of spreads with models Daria Werbowy and Du Juan. Moss has been a recurring face for the brand, and Sacks says he thinks the supermodel is part of the crux of David Yurman's success.
"I think there's something about that--whether you like the face or the personality behind the face--using models like that just to place themselves in that top tier of fashion advertisers."
Madden warns that at times, though, a celebrity's notoriety can be a hindrance.
"It's a danger of depending on a celebrity," he says. "Don't think that someone that doesn't devour celebrity gossip won't discount other things."
Watch and jewelry brand Breil Milano came to that challenge when choosing a new male face. The brand selected actor Edward Norton for its fall campaign, with ads currently running in magazines such as Men's Vogue and GQ.
"We were looking for a real actor, somebody famous not only for being in the gossip news, but for his real brand," says Fabrizio Cattaneo, marketing manager at Binda USA, the company that owns Breil. "We are a concrete brand and we want someone in a concrete job."
The ads are sophisticated ones, with Norton sporting a simple band on his index finger and a large, complicated watch on his wrist.
Sacks says that in the last year, a Breil Milano ad convinced him to purchase a watch from the brand. He says that in that ad, the watch was many times larger, with a woman featured more as a prop rather than the focal point.
"I think their design is so great in the world of watches that for them, I would focus on the product," Sacks says, adding that in addition to beautiful design, the brand also carries a surprisingly affordable price point. He thinks listing that price point could be an effective way to draw consumer inquiry.
One brand really focusing on the detail of its products is Scott Kay, which launched its "Art of Man" collection of men's jewelry earlier this year and is now promoting the line in upscale Niche Media magazines such as Los Angeles Confidential and Michigan Avenue.
The ads feature zoomed-in images of rings, bracelets and cuff wear set against the backdrop of materials such as wood, rock and distressed leather.
"Scott's always focused on hand-forged details, and all of our photography is specific to those details," says Dan Scott, chief marketing officer for the brand. "Nothing equals holding a Scott Kay piece in your hand, but these ads replicate that."
For those more familiar with Kay's bridal line, as Sacks is, the pieces are a true divergence, edgier and often featuring skull motifs.
Sacks wonders if the collection should have an even more distinct brand attached to it, but at the same time, says the campaign is "well executed and shows the product well." And, according to Sacks, those qualities are crucial.
"Execution is critical because we think the affluent customer has learned a sense of style and has an appreciation for high-quality goods," he says.
He suggests that brands take a look through the magazines, place all ads in the jewelry or watch category on a board, examine them and begin a discussion about what makes one's brand different.
"A lot of companies would rather do what appeals to everyone," Sacks says. "Our feeling is that if you stand in the middle of the road like that, you get run over."
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