Bulgari takes consumers on Roman holiday for immersive gift guide

25/11/2015
Italian jeweler Bulgari is bringing consumers home for the holidays through an interactive feature that explores #RomanTreasures.

Centered on a microsite, Bulgari’s campaign enables consumers to virtually travel to iconic spots within the ancient city, such as the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum, by way of 360-degree imagery, allowing them to send social media postcards from each locale. While this effort does enable consumers to discover holiday gift ideas, consumers must first embark on a journey to find the jewels, taking the concept of gift guide beyond a flat edit.
“Brand narratives are essential to be considered a luxury brand,” said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami. “Reinforcing the narrative is natural.
“Professional luxury marketers understand they don’t sell the affluent,” he said. “Instead, they match values so the affluent choose to buy their brand.
“Rome and Italy are the centers of culture; music, arts, design and architecture. Leveraging a given is good business.”
Mr. Ramey is not affiliated with Bulgari, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Bulgari was unable to comment directly before press deadline.
Treasure hunt
When consumers first navigate to the microsite, they are greeted by a celestial chorus, which underscores the message “A starry sky, silent witness of the eternal city.” The text goes on to explain that Bulgari’s inspiration dates back 2,700 years.
A trio of constellations depicting a peacock, snake and lion appear in the sky as the consumer descends through the sky to rest in Rome.
From there, consumers can click an arrow or scroll to make an aerial map appear. A call-to-action tells the viewer to select destinations to see how they inspired Bulgari’s icons.
The journey begins at the Spanish Steps, where consumers are told they will find a treasure if they follow their heart. After clicking “explore,” an option is given to view a street scene in 360-degrees.
As the consumer turns, a magical cloud of stars appears, guiding them on their way. As they click, they are brought to the base of the Spanish Steps, as a voiceover explains, “Beauty unfolds slowly, step by step.”
After following the route, the consumer arrives on the steps, gaining insight into the inspiration for Serpenti, which wraps around a neck or wrist like the iconic staircase. As this is explained, a snake of diamonds appears and winds its way into a necklace hovering over the steps as more information about the piece appears alongside an option to find a nearby store.
From there, the consumer can either navigate to the next location, the Piazza Navona, or select their destination from a menu.
Other icons explored are Lucea, Diva, B.Zero1 and Italian Gardens, inspired by locales such as the Baths of Carcalla and the Gardens of Borghese Gallery.
While in each of the scenes, Bulgari gives consumers the option to send a wish. These play off each of the locations, with messages such as “Many treasures around you,” “I wish you a sparkling Christmas” and “May Rome enchant your dreams.”
Each of the messages can be paired with an array of imagery which depicts an iconic Bulgari jewel imposed on a Roman landmark. These can then be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or email.
Consumers can also download a PDF that acts as an e-book for those who would rather read than click to peruse the content.
A concurrent influencer campaign shows the Roman adventures of a handful of bloggers.
The faces behind Eat Sleep Wear, Sea of Shoes and Wendy’s Lookbook star in a black-and-white film depicting a “Glamorous Roman Holiday,” while other bloggers took to their own channels to document their Roman experiences.
Hometown glory
Bulgari feels a strong tie to its Italian hometown, moving the brand to ensure its preservation.
Italy’s Bulgari is investing in Italian heritage projects as a way to give back, while also celebrating its 130th anniversary, with a $2 million pledge to restore Rome’s Spanish Steps over a two-year period.
The project, slated to begin this year, will work to restore the iconic Italian landmark after Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi asked for private investors to help maintain monuments throughout the country. With Bulgari behind the restoration, the project will likely leave an impression on travelers who visit the Spanish Steps (see story).
Gift guides are most memorable when they tell stories and engage the consumer.
As the holidays draw nigh, brands are looking to stand out as gift-buying destinations, but what efforts can effectively attract consumers?
From classic print catalogs to animated microsites and social media, brands have varied ways of reaching out to consumers. Experts agreed that the most important component to a gift guide is a personal, emotional appeal, which helps a campaign create a lasting impression (see story).
“Fascination drives desire,” Mr. Ramey said. “Bulgari’s initiative connects Rome’s history and reinforces their brand authenticity.
“You need not travel to Rome to gift a little piece of Italy via Bulgari.”

By:http://www.luxurydaily.com/bulgari-takes-consumers-on-roman-holiday-for-immersive-gift-guide/

LEGGI GLI ALTRI BLOG

• < Prec
• Succ >