If fashion can be funny, so can you

Luxury brand communication doesn’t usually dip its Manolos into parody or humour, so what happens when it does?

It stands out

I absolutely love this autum/winter advertising campaign from Gucci, called Gucci and Beyond.

It’s a celebration of vintage sci-fi, with green skinned models, giant cats, flying saucers and creatures of the deep, shot in lurid B-movie style with plastic looking foliage and fake looking giant dinosaurs. All accompanied by a deeply retro soundtrack.

It’s not what you expect from the usually po-faced world of fashion. And it’s hard to imagine Chanel or Dior coming up with something this playful.

The result? Instant cut through and proof that humour can work, even if your product is high-end.

Something to think about if your own industry is known for seriousness.

Of course it can often be a tricky balance to strike because humour is so subjective.

But then again, you don’t want to appeal to everyone, you only want to speak to your target audience, so if you’ve done the work up front to define who they are — in as much detail as possible — then you’ll have some idea of how far to go and what tone to use in order to make it resonate.

People want to be entertained. Not blasted with facts. And people like people who make them laugh.

Humour can help turn a dull product into an interesting and likeable one. So don’t dismiss it as a marketing tactic. It could be a great way to develop personal connection with your audience.