It may not be the most conventional method of schooling but, for the luxury brands that have signed up to play key roles in Esquire’s new mainland movie, it could be the potential payoff with the country’s young consumers that trump all other concerns.
Much has been made of China’s growing affluent ranks, which skews towards a younger demographic than other markets, and who are - say observers - less well-versed in luxury brand lineage.
With this in mind, Esquire Runway, billed as China’s first fashion movie, and featuring heavy involvement from the likes of Cadillac, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Martell, may offer a crucial method of building brand awareness outside of the traditional avenues of first-tier urban print media. A large part of luxury brand marketing in China is still educational, particularly in the second- and third-tier cities, says Proximity Live managing partner Angelito Tan.
But having a film appear too branded is definitely a concern. There is a fine line between creative branded content and being tacky, or overselling. Because of the high quality of fashion brands involved, I would assume the product placement would be very tastefully done.
Tan raises perhaps the biggest challenge these brands face: integrating into the film in a manner which effectively balances the benefits of brand education against alienating the viewer.
The danger is creating a backlash, explained WE Marketing chairman Viveca Chan. For super luxury brands it may create a feeling of trying too hard.
Luckily, then, it appears that brand involvement in the movie is reasonably understated, although the risks do not end there. Luxury brands are famously prickly about their advertising environment, leading some to question whether the movie’s content will strike the right tone.
This sounds to me like a Chinese version of The Devil Wears Prada, adds Chan. It is still a good idea to sponsor, provided the movie is not seen as a copycat version.
Content and context, quite clearly, are crucial - so much so that Weber Shandwick China MD David Liu calls into question the level of investment - US$4.3 million - behind the movie.
Quite a lot of the shoots are filmed during Esquire’s own events and functions, so it may not be as glamorous as a fashion movie should be.
Still, observers agree that the concept is a definite step in the right direction, if only because it demonstrates that brands truly understand the importance of content.
The storyline offers very good linkage between the movie and the luxury brands, and conveys the brand personality to a mass audience, says FutureBrand China GM Warren Wang.
But do luxury brands really need to target a considerably more mass-market audience than they would ever consider speaking to in other countries? Opinion is mixed, with Liu concerned about the level of support Esquire Runway will attract beyond first-tier urbanites. On one thing, though, everybody agrees: for the mass-market brands - Every Bright Bank and Beauty Foam - that are also sponsoring the movie, the benefits of rubbing shoulders with upmarket labels are clear, even if they are not always reciprocal.
If the luxury brands are associated too strongly with the nouveau riche or with those pseudo-luxury brands, which can take advantage by upgrading themselves, they will lose their real status appeal, warns Chan.
It will not be a positive for the brand if it is just seen as a long ad.
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Esquire film will acquaint consumers about top names but it has to guard against becoming a long ad.
