Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Article • WARC Best Practice, June 2019

Explores the changing behaviours and expectations of luxury consumers whose idea of luxury is becoming more experiential and immersive, and driven by technology and on–the–go lifestyles.

How to build a luxury brand

Article • Lyle Maltz, WARC Best Practice, March 2017

This paper explains how luxury brands need to adapt to an evolving market comprising digital opportunities, millennial shoppers, the concept of "affordable" luxury and the need for strong, personalised brand-consumer relationships.

Dubai Properties: 1/JBR – It’s not for everyone

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Real-estate developer Dubai Properties used a multichannel approach aimed at alienating flashy customers to sell apartments in its new Jumeirah Beach Residences 1/JBR development.

How to grow via premiumisation

Opinion • Lena Roland, July 2019

This month’s Admap looks at how brands can grow via premiumisation . Having a premium offer within the portfolio is an important way for brands to drive sales growth and to engage with a wider range of consumers.

On premiumisation: The paradox of Amazon vs luxury experiences

Article • Dr. Martina Olbertova, Admap, July 2019

Looks at the lessons luxury brands can learn from Amazon to keep them competitive in a global marketplace.

Why it’s hard to reposition a brand

Article • Peter Matthews, Admap, July 2019

Looks at how technology players, such as Amazon, have particularly impacted middle-market brands that often have not invested sufficiently to understand their customers.

The new rules of luxury and premium branding

Article • Vicky Bullen and Elayne Read, Admap, July 2019

Taking inspiration from fashion, grocery, alcohol and beauty, four key themes have been identified that embody the new codes of luxury today and the cultural and consumer movements driving these.

Leaving the walled garden: Lessons from a luxury brand that embraced the super market shelves

Article • David Adamson, Admap, July 2019

Looks at the success story of chocolate brand Godiva, which deliberately left the walled garden of luxury for the broader streets of mainstream shopping.

Lacoste: Save Our Species

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Lacoste, the clothing company, raised awareness of endangered species and IUCN in the US when it replaced its iconic crocodile polo with other endangered animals.

Audi/Vorsprung Durch Technik: Beautiful Cars With Amazing Brains

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Bronze, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Audi, an automotive brand, overtook BMW in the UK by launching two series of TVCs demonstrating how the beauty and intelligence of its cars overpowered speed.

The Clock Gym

Case Study • Design Business Association, Silver, 2019

The Clock, an exclusive members fitness club, relaunched its brand under a new name and redesigned its imagery to increase gym membership sales in the UK.

Versace bets on 360 degree marketing

News • 06 June 2019

Capri Holdings, the new owner of Versace, is investing in marketing and brick-and-mortar stores as it aims to double sales of the luxury fashion brand to $2bn.

Audi e-tron: Bring the e-tron to the digital airwaves

Case Study • Case Studies on WARC, Winner, Automotive, 2019

Audi, the car manufacturer, promoted the launch of its latest e-tron model with a podcast for its German, Swiss and Austrian audience.

Why luxury keeps struggling with its counterfeits problem

News • 29 May 2019

Luxury companies’ failure to stem the growth of counterfeiting reflects a weakening of brands in which luxury is a signal but one that rarely delivers an experience, a new report suggests.

INFINITI Middle East: Let the cars speak

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Trade Show, Gold, 2019

Infiniti, the luxury division of Japanese carmaker Nissan, created an integrated campaign encompassing PR, social media, creative and digital, for the global launch of its QX80 model in the Middle East.

Cadillac: Now That's a Cardiac

Case Study • SABRE Awards, North America, Company of the Year, Diamond, 2019

Cadillac, an automotive brand, promoted its new XT4 model in the US by launching a video commercial featuring hit comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll.

Engel & Völkers: Reimagining a Brand for the Americas

Case Study • SABRE Awards, North America, Real Estate & Construction , Gold, 2019

Engel & Volkers, a real estate services company, launched a microsite and PR campaign to increase brand awareness in the US.

Jo Malone London: Omnichannel Communications Programme

Case Study • Richard Calvert, Louisa Osmond, WARC Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Innovation, 2019

British fragrance house Jo Malone London ran a personalised email campaign driven by AI and data to increase rate of repurchase and drive sales among its customer base.

Slower growth 'inevitable' for China's luxury sector

News • 21 March 2019

China’s luxury market recorded growth of 20% in 2018 for the second year in a row, according to Bain & Company’s latest survey of the market, but a slowdown is now inevitable.

Swatch Group, The (Wearing apparel)

Article • Euromonitor Profiles, March 2019

This Company Profile from Euromonitor provides key details and analysis of luxury accessories company, Swatch.

Audi: Beauty and brains: How we supercharged the Audi premium 2015-2018

Rankings • WARC Effective 100, 2019

Audi, an automotive brand, overtook BMW in the UK by launching two series of TVCs, demonstrating how the beauty and intelligence of its cars overpowered speed.

Can your advertisement go abstract without affecting willingness to pay? Product-centered versus lifestyle content in luxury brand print advertisements

Research Paper • Francesco Massara, Daniele Scarpi, and Daniele Porcheddu, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, February 2019

Advertising can focus on concrete product attributes or on lifestyle expressions and abstract benefits.

Audi: Clowns

Rankings • WARC Creative 100, 2019

Car manufacturer Audi released a TV and cinema commercial to promote its intelligent in-car technology in the UK.

Helzberg Diamonds: Helzberg Diamonds Breaks the Rules of Engagement

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Best in Broadcast Media (Earned), In2, 2019

Helzberg Diamonds, a jewelry retailer, increased brand awareness across the US by launching a placeholder engagement ring to take the stress out of choosing a ring for the big event.

Instagram: the 'great wasteland' of luxury clutter

News • 07 February 2019

The Australian luxury goods landscape has become increasingly crowded in recent years and the explosion of brands has been accompanied by an outpouring of luxury comms, much of which is indistinguishable.

Luxury brands