I recently listened to the podcast Acquired about LVMH, where they mentioned how important brand ambassadors are to a luxury brand. So when I got the Daily Digest email from Business of Fashion this morning, I knew I had to read about the Kate Moss x Anine Bing partnership and share my thoughts.
Kate Moss recently signed on as Anine Bing’s face for its Fall 2023 campaign. Diana Pearl wrote in the Business of Fashion article that Bing’s usual marketing strategy relies heavily on influencers, given that the brand was founded by an influencer over a decade ago[1],[2]. Personally, I first came across Anine Bing last year when their iconic Harvey Sweatshirt first became popular among influencers. The importance of influencers in 2023 cannot be overlooked.
Last year, the brand partnered with Irina Shayk for its 360 campaign, and for 2023, they chose Moss.[2]
I believe this partnership bodes well for the brand. Kate Moss is known to be scrappy, causal, and authentic with a hint of glamour.[3] Anine Bing is a very “cool girl” brand with its Scandinavian-like simplicity.[1] Also, with the surge of fascination over the Supers of the ’90s, thanks to Vogue’s September issue and the launch of “The Super Models” on Apple TV+ this month, Gen Zers are consistently looking to the '90s It Girls for inspiration. While Moss is not featured in either piece of content, she is of the right era. The vibes, target audience, and timing match very well.
Now, let's see how the podcast Acquired fits into all this. In the last hour of the over 3-hour podcast, the hosts, David Rosenthal and Ben Gilbert, dive into an analysis of LVMH and its success. Gilbert mentions luxury strategy regarding the use of celebrity ambassadors. He says, “One cannot outshine the other;”[4] the partnership should be just that, a partnership. The brand should be on an equal playing field as the ambassador. He continues to explain that if the partnership is not matched well, like a Taylor Swift working with a start-up jewelry brand, the public doesn’t trust the brand because they can see the large payout.[4] Take Jay-Z and Beyonce at Tiffany & Co., for example. This couple is known as an affluent, high-status power couple. For Pete's sake, they paid cash for a $295 million mansion in Malibu![5]
Their partnership with Tiffany is well-matched. In the same way, I believe Moss’s collaboration with Anine Bing is well-matched.
The takeaway is that a PR professional must be careful when juggling celebrity ambassadors with luxury houses.
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