Although humor and luxury seems incompatible, exclusive brands start combining them in order to reach Generation Y.
Imagine a prestigious serious man watching a commercial of Hermés featuring a fingerboard making tricks on some clothing products. Odd? Yes, but also childish funny.
Generation Y are known as people born around the mid-1980's and later. This means that nowadays they work and buy goods. This generation, also called the Millennials, is known for their tech-savvy nature and is less formal oriented.
Marketing managers of luxury brands believes that Millennials are more open minded and might be attracted to humorous advertisements. The Gen-Y luxury consumers might appreciate the childish humor and could be seduced to buy the featured product. Another strong point is, that in this way they can communicate to people who are not interested in the traditionally focus on respect, formality and prestige of luxury brands. They also show the brands’ product portfolio.
Though this innovative form of advertising seems promising, humor remains something personal. Not all luxury consumers are pleased with hilarious commercials. Most of the marketing managers are aware of this and are not fond of this new trend.
Andreas Verleysen
http://luxurysociety.com/articles/2010/11/humour-the-next-trend-in-digital-luxury-marketing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKVeSMDewnA&feature=player_embedded#!
Hi Andreas,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI really think you've chosen a very nice article because it really shows that the marketeers in the luxury industry should change their focus, and even their way of selling, since all the Millennials are finding their way to the labor market.
I don't really know whether this kind of advertising will work. Won't the rich men think is too childish for them ?