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The Louis Vuitton 'Where Will Life Take You?' Commercial: Everybody Is Talking, But Are They Buying?

Louis Vuitton produced a beautiful commercial, but forgot to tell consumers why they need Louis Vuitton bags to accompany them on their life journey

Stevens, PA February 28, 2008 -- The blogs are abuzz with praise over Louis Vuitton's first commercial (click to review) . The company in its January 28 press release describes the concept behind the 90-second 'ode' to the Louis Vuitton brand as "a powerful statement of the core values of Louis Vuitton, the film shows virtually no product and has less a subject than a spirit -- an intensely atmospheric evocation of travel as a life-changing experience."

"It's atmospheric and evocative, yes," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, a research firm focused on the luxury consumer market and author of Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses -- as well as the Classes, "but LV has fallen into a trap that can catch many heritage-rich luxury brands, and that is thinking that brand image is the ultimate reason why people buy.

"In my research into the mindset of the luxury consumers, brand image plays a supporting, not a leading role in why people buy. When affluent consumers buy a luxury brand, first and foremost they want outstanding quality. Image may be a primary motivator for the 'aspirational' consumers who want to put on the trappings of a luxury life they have not yet attained, but not for the affluent shopper who has already made it."

She continues, "It is even questionable that the company's target consumers will get the brand identity message that is this commercial's primary objective. When I viewed this ad, all I had were questions, but no answers. 'What is a journey?' is the question poised in this commercial, but the answer about why I need the Louis Vuitton brand to accompany me on my journey was left unanswered."

Louis Vuitton forgot that luxury consumers also want a product experience

�The Louis Vuitton company deserves kudos for taking their brand advertising into new media and for trying to engage their target customer in a new dialogue. This commercial is virtually guaranteed to win awards, but the company lost its way navigating the consumer landscape. They forgot that luxury consumers also want a product experience when they shop. When a customer buys a beautiful, new -- and very expensive -- Louis Vuitton bag, they aren�t just going on a journey, they expect a product experience of superb quality, classic style and expert workmanship. Louis Vuitton missed the mark because they forgot to tell me why their brand should be a partner on my journey," Danziger says.

Unity Marketing white paper on the myths of luxury branding now available

Pam Danziger has prepared a white paper, entitled "The Six Myths of Luxury Branding -- How to Build a 'New Luxury' Brand," describing the challenges of the 'new luxury' branding paradigm and what luxury marketers must do to keep their brands relevant to luxury consumers. Visit here to download a copy: http://www.unitymarketingonline.com/cms_pages/about_us/downloadPDF2.php

In addition, other white papers on critical topics to luxury marketers, such as best practices in brand loyalty programs, predictions for the 2008 luxury market and more, can be accessed at http://unitymarketingonline.com/cms/Home/White_Papers.php

For media: Charts, tables and graphs are available on request.

Coming Soon:

Pam Danziger will make a presentation at the upcoming Global Shop convention called "Shops that Pop: How to Create the Ultimate Customer Experience in Your Store." Global Shop will be held March 18-20 at McCormick Place West, Chicago. To learn more visit http://www.globalshop.org/globalshop/index.jsp
About the happiness of luxury consumers -- Money really does buy happiness, but not by much
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About Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing

Pamela N. Danziger is an internationally recognized expert specializing in consumer insights, especially for marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences to the masses or the 'classes.' She is president of Unity Marketing, a marketing consulting firm she founded in 1992.

Advising such clients as PPR, Diageo, Stearns & Foster, Waterford/Wedgwood, Lenox, Prudential Fine Homes, Orient-Express Hotels, Marie Claire magazine, Italian Trade Commission, The World Gold Council, The Conference Board and American Express, Danziger taps consumer psychology to help clients navigate and master the changing luxury consumer marketplace.

In recognition of her ground-breaking work in the luxury consumer market, Pam received the Global Luxury Award presented by Harper's Bazaar for top luxury industry achievers in 2007.

Her latest book is Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience, published by Kaplan Publishing in October 2006. Her other books include Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses�as well as the Classes, (Dearborn Trade Publishing, $27, hardcover) and Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior (Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004).

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