Why so many Fashion and Luxury Brands are Leveraging Animations in their Advertising?

When you think of fashion houses and luxury brands, you wouldn’t normally think that an animated advert would work. After all, how can they advertise their latest collections through an animation? Surely, it would be better to have real models and real people wearing their clothes and using their items, right? Actually, animated adverts aren’t just about the collection these brands are promoting, rather it’s the brand image itself, and their principles. More often than not, the image of the brand, and how they present themselves is what helps sell their pieces, and animation, both 3D and 2D help to bring that image to life.

Expression And Experiment

You would think that animation and fashion, or luxury brands, should go together in a sentence, but it’s quite the opposite. Both fashion and animation do the same thing, but they use different mediums. They both are an expression of ideas and thoughts, and experiments that challenge modern thinking. So, it makes sense that fashion brands should use animation in the promotion and advertising of their collections and brand values.

For example, the Christmas promotional materials for L’Occitane Australia (2021) contained both real world products and 2D animation to promote their brand values, like the sustainable sourcing of their ingredients for their products, or their inclusion and diversity policies. In the advert you can see 2D characters of all different shapes, sizes, and colours, showing that they consider their employees equally. And as one of their values is focused on sustainability and fairness, the advert shows these animated characters working with natural ingredients, thus emphasising the fact that they work with nature and the environment, to create their products.

Both Are Abstract Messages

Unless given a structured narrative, like in fiction films or TV shows, animation is mostly about abstract concepts, which are mostly used in advertising or as transitions for other videos. When paired with a fashion brand’s marketing, these abstract concepts can be used to its fullest capacity and create arthouse films. These films can then be added to a fashion or luxury brand’s marketing scheme, to promote the product. So, in essence, animation and fashion have a symbiotic relationship, where both benefit from the other’s medium.

You can see this in the advert by Hermes (2015), with Ugo Gattoni, called Hippopolis, which is a conundrum in itself. Is it a city of horses, or is it a horse with a city on its back? These questions don’t make sense, but that’s what abstract concepts are. They shouldn’t make sense, but they should create meaning, and resonate with the audience. In this case, it isn’t about understanding the concept, but the visual appeal of the film. It’s very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, but it’s much simpler, and it doesn’t utilise complicated stories. However, because it is interesting to look at and rather confusing, it persuades audiences to buy the scarf or re-watch the animation again, to get a closer look.

Both Are Visually Intriguing

It is no surprise that both fashion and animation are visually intriguing. After all a good animation will capture an audience’s imagination and attention, while fashion uses fabric and real materials to not only make a statement about their values and image but are also visually pleasing to look at. So, both industries are similar in that aspect. They both grab an audience’s attention and can sometimes be pleasing to look at. It is in this similarity that many, if not all fashion brands use animation in one form or another. 

Take a look at Prada’s 2016 Real Fantasies Spring/Summer collection. The advert they showcased uses animation to change perspective on the many ways the collection can be worn. The film imitates portraits hanging on a wall, windows, or wall art. Conversely, the animators used images of the accessories, worn by the models in the film, to imitate rain or hail. The film even uses sweeping track motions, to imitate public transport, and highlight the way Prada’s collection can be used even in even the busiest settings, like a commute to work.

It’s A Statement

It shouldn’t be surprising that fashion and luxury brands are turning to animation as a means of advertising and marketing. Why? Even the standard brands in supermarkets and on highstreets are doing it, and it shows that this form of advertising works. Not only that, but it’s a statement. In the fashion industry, you’ll always find a piece from a collection that stands out more. These “statement” pieces are exactly what they say they are. They’re a statement, and with the help of animation, those statements can become more accessible to wider audiences.

 You can see this clearly in the 2021 short film by Louis Vuitton, for their Men’s Spring/Summer collection, by Virgil Abloh. The film is clearly aimed at those who like to wear street style outfits, inspired by hip-hop and rap artists and this is seen in the graffiti style art, and bold colours in the characters that they use. For the most part the film follows these characters, as well as the trucks of Louis Vuitton cargo containers, as they leave the warehouse to be distributed across the world. It is because these characters are so bold, lively, and animate that we can see they’re the embodiment of the fashion collection’s inspiration and style. So, even if someone doesn’t know who Louis Vuitton is, but they like the hip-hop/streetwear look, they will be able to understand that the collection is aimed at them and will be persuaded to buy the clothes.

It Is Ever Evolving

Just like developments in technology, the style of animation, and the use of animation in general, is evolving, and the fashion industry knows this. So, that’s why you’ll find more animated films, both 2D and 3D animation gracing your TV screens, for brands like Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes, because they’re not only visually appealing, but they’re also expressions and statements of what these brands stand for. Whether it’s for a major cause, like climate change or diversity, or a change in brand identity and image, both the fashion industry and the animation industry will continue to work together to impact their audiences.