Witchery turns to Eskimo for 2010 marketing push
Clothes brand Witchery has made its first major foray into social media since last year’s ill-fated man-in-the-jacket debacle.
And Witchery has turned away from Naked for the campaign, instead using its long serving design agency Eskimo for its seasonal drive, which aims to bring the Witchery and Witchery Man brands closer together.
According to the agency: “Eskimo has worked with Witchery for over eight years on their seasonal campaigns, but this year they wanted more. Following the launch of WitcheryMan in 2009, Eskimo was briefed to bring their fashion credentials to a broader marketing strategy that would embed WitcheryMan in the Witchery master brand.”
In January last year, Witchery found itself embroiled in a PR firestorm after Naked created a fake video featuring an actress called “Heidi” looking for a man she claimed had left his jacket in a cafe.
But the move quickly backfired when the press became suspicious, leading to several weeks of controversy over Witchery’s stunt.
However, this time round, Eskimo has taken a far more straightforward approach for Witchery, featuring a campaign that puts social media at the front. It includes a Witchery Man Facebook page and Witchery Twitter profile, both of which were created last last year alogn with long form video.
“For 2010, we developed an integrated campaign across print, online and moving image that was inspired by modern love. While you could take this as being too romantic for male audiences, we designed the content around a bolder tone of voice and broader presentation of brand attributes,” creative director Natasha Hasemer said.
This includes a two-and-a-hald minute black and white short film featuring Witchery Man and Witchery woman.
According to Hasemer: “The brand has always upheld values of aspiration and fashion, however it has delivered less of a substantial brand story to engage and excite customers with.”
Eskimo also created the 32-page Witchery Paper which is available instore and also as a digital edition online magazine.
Hasemer said: “Every successful fashion business gets good at asking for the sale, but less excel at creating a brand experience beyond product, especially in Witchery’s competitive market. Fashion brands need to invest more in giving something extra to consumers if they want their brand to be loved. Pretty pictures just won’t cut it anymore.”
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Tim,
Just to confirm our status with Witchery. We have been and continue to be a project agency and are actually working on something for them right now. So not sure the heading is quite accurate.
Ian – Naked
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Fair point, Pez. Amended accordingly.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Chaps, I hate to be too negative, but a Twitter Profile (with 5 posts since January 2010) and a Facebook Page with similarly few, does not a scoial media strategy make.
Love or hate last years activity (wasn’t a fan personally), it achieved high levels of media attention for the brand, and whilst not all positive in terms of the media feeling a bit tricked (suckerrrz!), the clip has registered views of 236,451 and over 1,000 comments. The whole thing had a high level of intrigue, interaction and importantly – had an idea.
Something genuinely ‘abnormal’ in the category as maninthejacket was has been replaced by a lazy strategy supported by a self indulgent black and white art house film.
Boo, hiss Witchery man.
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Too boring, too long, too many close-ups of pretty faces and not enough product!
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I’m with Ed on this one.
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it could use a sharper edit.?
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