Digital
The second communication strategy is driven by the world moving every social interaction, events, experience and connection to the digital world due to lockdown restraints and social distancing. The pandemic has shown that life can and has to continue on a digital level for people to stay connected and bring some sense of normality in a world turned upside down in a matter of weeks. Brands had to adapt fast to keep in contact with their customers and stay relevant in a world where physical events and fashion shows moved online and shares, likes and comments suddenly defined relevance and customer loyalty.
The move to digital comes with no surprise; however, the pandemic has accelerated this trend by years, making it a necessity now. For some brands, this change has meant a complete re-evaluation of business models. For others, this meant exploring new possibilities and connecting even further with their customers. Indeed, the pandemic has shown the importance of future-proofing a brand.
With brands tapping slowly into digital possibilities, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, some leading player has found their strategy and have become the trendsetters in the digital playing field, exploring and defining what fashion communication could be. The medium has become an essential aspect of fashion communication, especially during that time.
With endless possibilities opened up for brands, it has become crucial to define their customer audience and communicate, especially on the platforms and through the language, these groups are using. Community building has become the trending term during this time. This means for brands to meet their customers on new social platforms and through innovative experiences to connect, interact and stay relevant.
Digitalisation has become a key driver of fashion communication, transforming all physical events into digital presentations, where the element of experience have become of deeper importance. Digital fatigue has become a new kind of term used by people, where extended screen times through constant and rapid uploads of content caused exhaustion and a short attention span.
Hence the battle of the latest and most innovative strategy started, where brands explore new and emerging technologies and evolving platforms to capture peoples attention to differentiate from the ocean of competitors. Moreover, the fashion industry began to collaborate with other industries, as gaming or artificial intelligence, to create unique, innovative ways to present the latest collection and develop experiences for their customers.
In this section, we will look at some digital communication strategies created by brands to stay connected with their customers and build on communities. Brands had to find their niche and strategy to speak to their clientele and reach the most visibility and engagement. From creating digital dreamworlds to create some sort of escape and new realities for their customers to join them in the quest of digital fashion and gaming, there have been many exciting and innovative examples, and there will be many more to come.
Blended Worlds
The pandemic has forced us to move to the digital world to receive some sense of normality, interaction and connection with the outside world. Fashion brands had to adapt their language fast to go with the new online-based communication restricted by lockdowns and social distancing. However, in need, there is always room for new opportunities, and fashion has picked the fruits of reconsideration, rediscovery, and exploration.
Fashion brands started to collaborate with different agencies exploring and accelerate new creative digital technologies to explore new communication possibilities and fuel a digital experience. We have seen brands test emerging digital technologies, like CGI and 3D modelling and scanning, to creating digital dreamscapes that let people delve into new realities and worlds. As new technologies develop, fashion brands are exploring new ways to communicate ideas and images of beauty. The campaigns draw us into worlds that seem as if they have always been there, letting us enter into blended realities through the help of technology.
David Koma Resort 2021 Ad Campaign by Polina Zakh, Komron Komron & Evgeny Mezhibovskiy
CGI imagery, creating virtual models from scratch
avatar Tamar M, inspired by 12th Century Queen Tamar of Georgia – power and intellect
dated representation of computer animation and game graphics
capturing the model from traditional runway angles
digital dreamscape land – surreal post-realistic environments
through sound reconnecting digital with nature
combination of personal elements, as Koma´s cultural heritage, technology and imagery
the message: a heady, escapist, digital daydream, emerging in Koma´s transhumanist world
Pros:
diving into the dreamworld of David Koma
creating unique models only for the brand
telling a story, offering people an insight
connecting with the heritage of designer
Cons:
post-realistic imagery might not be liked by everybody
needs to know story to understand message
Gentle Monster ‘Nano’ Spring 2021 Ad Campaign by Director AES+F
psychedelic celebration of circle of life
3D modelling to create a fantasy world - humans coexist with chimerical animal hybrids
the message: truest beauty will strike us when we least expect it, in the strangest of places
reach out to fantastic creatures as for our dreams
evokes a rush of emotions, where life has no beginning or end
blend of real and digital
Pros:
hyper-real worlds – blend between digital and real
communicating unique brand DNA
striking campaign that captures eye
dreamscape that stays in mind
unique choice of models - inclusive
Cons:
product is not in focus
not engaging with customers
Coperni Spring Summer 2021 “Ready to Care” Ad Campaign by Coperni Creative Directors Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, Creative Directors Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel of agency Maybe, with film direction by WeAreFromLA
virtually-augmented and vertigo-induced – extended reality fuses virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality
creating a specially mesmerizing world, nothing remains as it seems
models perch fearlessly on under-construction skyscrapers, conveys thrill of connections and sensuality
the message: nothing is what it seems, looks at things from different angles to reshape our reality
questioning reality through technology
deconstructing and rebuilding the material of human reality
combining real-world and virtual environments and realities, user can exist within the virtual world, but can also interact as if it’s real life
Pros:
innovative connection between fashion and technology
incorporating digital and physical reality
interactive and engaging
building innovatively on brand DNA - techno-chic mixed with innovation, progress, science and sci-fi with French heritage, tailoring and embroidery
Cons:
very costly
Metaverse
The metaverse is the new digital realm that will drive design and culture, offering new immersive expressions and experiences. Although still at its infant stage, the metaverse has already become a seamless virtual realm destined to become the entity that binds society and culture together through connected third-platform places and services. The ultimate convergence that ties the physical and digital realities.
The metaverse has created new opportunities, new product, services and jobs. It will increasingly impact all aspects of life, how consumers communicate, work, shop, play and learn. For brands embracing the metaverse means new ways to connect and interact with their target audience, benefitting its community. Ways to tap into the metaverse are, for example, games, VR/AR, virtual experiences, and virtual products. The metaverse opens new digital playgrounds for brands to offer engaging, virtual content and immersive experiences. (Humphrey, 2020: on line)
The Fabricant collaborates with RTFKT to create “Renaixance” collection of digital garments. Minted as NFTs, the collection was sold on the invite-only site The Dematerialised
fluid, genderless collection
recognises a spectrum of possibility
RenaiXance inspired by Renaissance
The message: rapid social change, transforming culture and society, but reconfigures spirit and energy for digital age – rebirth in digital world
meaning of letter X: powerful symbol of potential, mysterious and waits to get meaning, every human has an X chromosome
redefining and reshaping the digital world, drawing on our human capacity to be fluid, away from toxic gender roles
Pros:
sustainable clothes
one of the first to explore the digital world, NFTs
designing clothes with a message
standing for equality, gender fluidity and redefining boundaries
Cons:
only limited access to website
not very known yet by many people
only digital, no tactility and feel
Balenciaga Fall 2021 “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow” Fashion Show Video Game
digital interactive video game with collection (50 looks) worn by players avatar
fresh perspective on how to experience fashion – entering the metaverse
entering platforms the Balenciaga consumers is using
offering an instant, real-life experience, connecting with the audience, creating interactions
the players go allegorical journey in the future, 2031, in a world that is the mirror of the now
the message: hope, reflecting the current time with optimism
the characters wear signature Balenciaga clothes, and clothes that envision to stand test of time – an idea of circular and waste reduction
the collection: idea of clothes to transform over many years, worn for decades, repurpose
Pros:
connecting on platforms target audience is using
exploring new worlds
communicating sustainability and circular fashion
connecting and interacting, offering a real-life experience
Cons:
might not be likes by all customers
costs a lot of money
Pangaia, The FLWRDWN™ Virtual Immersive Experience
virtual immersive experience
future of e-commerce – interactive shopping, takes consumer in a immersive environment
consumer experiences brand's world and educate themselves on the inspiration and science behind the product
the message: offering a glimpse into the inspiration, product and brand universe
visit Antarctica with minimal carbon footprint, exploring the story and sustainability credentials behind the collection, including materials research and brand ethos
new customer experiences that drive engagement and deeper connection with brand
the future of digital storytelling
Pros:
offering new immersive experiences
the first to explore the future of e-commerce
storytelling - conveying the brand mission, product focus and identity
connecting and interacting with the customers
Cons:
invitation only
physical touch is missing
