“ACCESS DENIED”: the hidden allure of closed doors & Luxury brands
Explaining Luxury brands 101
Ever noticed a royalty in a film?
Queens never speak much. They needn’t prove themselves. They may not laugh or even smile at your jokes. Because they don’t need your approval.
Power is often portrayed through non-reactiveness or a coldness to feelings. Hence, luxury brands were the first to use models with no smiles.
Hard looks on models became a thing; “I am above you so I look at you in discernment. Are you worth my time?” is kind of the vibe most luxury advertising has.
Hence, models with a nonchalant, cold look became superstars like Cara Delevigne.
The hard look; associated with the certainty in one’s self, is the quite opposite of the people pleasing attitude or approachableness most mass brands want to have.
Luxury though, means to appear unapproachable. It needs to appear exclusive.
“Are you on the list?”
The allure of a closed door
Imagine the best clubs in New York; they always keep a list of the chosen few that enter easily, while the rest wait in line. They might wait forever.
Limited access to something instantly makes it very alluring; we want more of what we cannot have. And a closed door, promising something great behind, becomes a dream for us to open.
Here are 5 ways that luxury brands leverage the effect of the “closed door” to create an alluring image:
1. High price
Raising the price doesn’t only portray the item’s worth; it is also a “closed door” to the mass. Only a small percentage of the population can afford ultra high-end brands.
2. Waiting list
Some items are said to be so rare or made only upon request, that clients need to wait patiently for months or years on end. Such waiting makes the brand ultimately exclusive; the customer is thrilled to finally receive the product after so long. They imagine it instantly so precious.
Examples are making a Ferrari car, or waiting to get on the list for a signature Birkin bag.
3. Limited editions
Almost all luxury houses of brands, offer some few limited edition items or collections. The fear of “losing” the chance to buy the item, heightens the excitement and raises the perceived worth of the product in the customer’s eyes.
4. A challenge
Some brands are said to interview thoroughly their potential customers in order to “accept” or “deny” them access to the possibility of purchase. These brands look for the ultimate match of a customer to their product.
Instead of the customer asking “Do I want this item?”, it becomes
“Do you fit the profile of the customer that deserves our product?” coming from the brand itself.
Such reversal of roles appears as an enthusiastic challenge to potential customers, who crave the brand’s approval.
5. Making art- not selling in campaigns
Have you seen a luxury brand “begging” to be bought?
Quite the opposite. Luxury brand advertising is thrilling to me because they never try to sell directly. Most campaigns talk about history, values, identity, art, music, passions and feelings. They might not even mention their product or its use.
Being “cool” and doing what you’re great at, aka not trying too hard, sets the tone of the “closed door”: “I don’t need you to buy me, I’m just doing my thing.”
Reverse psychology
The “closed door” effect plays in one of the most primitive instincts we have as humans: we only want something we think we cannot have.
Every “no” becomes a challenge for us to turn it into a “yes” (or convince ourselves that we don’t need it).
And every closed door is an alluring potential exploration, we’re so eager to find out.
Unapproachable marketing feeds into the reverse psychology of people; learning from Luxury brands best practises and their allure, keeps customers knocking at your door.
*Use this information with caution and truly analyse if such strategies match your brand essence and goals. All those tactics are not suitable nor guarantee successful results to all brands.