Not a few years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for there to be a single talent – a model, say, or an actor – that would be the face of tens of brand campaigns in a single season.
It spoke to the unrivalled power of celebrity to influence consumer purchasing habits and our obsession with the Hollywood star-making machine at the time. But after a time, it wore pretty thin, and as we as shoppers evolved, we began to see brands’ choices of ambassadors as what they were: cash-for-comment without any meaningful connection between the product and the person.
Celebrities are still very much a part of luxury branding today – the ability to humanise a product through a universally recognised face is unrivalled – but the campaigns that standout and connect are the ones that are unexpected. That was our first thought when Montblanc dropped its new global brand campaign this week.
Titled What Moves You, Makes You, the cross-platform communicates Montblanc’s the idea that success is not a universal concept but unique to each individual. Through its engagement of screenwriter and filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Taron Egerton, and actor and school founder Chen Kun – each not the typical choice for a luxury brand campaign – Montblanc makes clear the importance of finding your own path.
Montblanc’s CEO Nicolas Baretzki explains it best: “As a maison founded by pioneers who set out to create innovative products for those seeking to make their mark in the world, this campaign is an evolved expression of our DNA… Being a ‘mark maker’ is a different way of thinking. It is no longer about status or reaching the top, but about the meaningful, purposeful and enriching journey we take to get there, and the people we impact on our way.” In a series of short films, which you can see below, Lee, Egerton and Kun share their personal stories.
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