Is Expressive Luxury the New Accessible Luxury?

How Coach’s new campaign is transitioning its target audience and repositioning its brand.

Expressive luxury is the new trend when trying to target Gen-Z and millennials- the idea of sustainability and self-expression is what consumers in this generation look for. The shift from exclusivity to inclusivity appeals to this demographic where consumers have a desire to express themselves. I find this shift very relevant in today’s world and one that I can relate to, thus I decided to look further into the fall 2022 Coach campaign.

The campaign:

The recent decision for Coach to take on Lil Nas- the 23-year-old artist is a move towards targeting a new demographic. Coach- an old fashion house started in 1941, known for its leather accessories and bags has stepped out of the norm and released a new global campaign “Courage to be Real” in order to target Gen-Z and millennials and reposition its brand around self-expression.

The 90-second campaign sheds a new light on the brand and showcases its efforts in transitioning from brand expression to self-expression and focusing on authenticity. This is an important factor when trying to connect with Gen-Z and is highlighted throughout their campaign where a sense of community is created around values shared by the next generation. The new global ambassador of Coach shares his own personal journey from challenges he is faced with to self-acceptance. The purpose of this campaign is to create an emotional connection with the younger cohort and balance the consumer’s values and sustainability within fashion.

Opinion:

I found this article to be very interesting because the idea of luxury is changing for Gen-Z, it is no longer high-priced products, craftsmanship, and exclusive items but rather products that are inclusive to younger consumers. Removing the element of exclusivity redefines the product’s perception and this new definition of luxury can be a bit contradicting as items that are inclusive and affordable are not as desirable anymore. This notion strays away from the typical high-end fashion industry.

However, as Coach is trying to bring in a new demographic of consumers it is important for its brand ambassador to reflect similar values as the audience and create a campaign that depicts authenticity, reality, and freedom of self-expression. According to Piper Sandler’s spring, 2022 survey Coach is the number 1 handbag brand that the youth buys surpassing Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton. With Gen-Z’s perception of luxury changing it is important that Coach takes this step into expressive luxury as it creates an emotional connection with their target audience.

The new campaign reflects the same values Gen-Z and millennials have today: purchasing luxury products define who they are not what they own.