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Piaget mixes and old new to showcase holiday selection

Swiss jeweler Piaget is asking its consumers to ?discover the story? in a holiday marketing effort that tells of the brand?s passion and creativity.

On its Web site and on Instagram, Piaget is unveiling its heritage alongside its holiday season selection in a series of brief animated videos. The use of new media to tell an old story will bolster the brand?s contemporary relevance and position its products as ideal holiday presents.

?Social media continues to be incredibly impactful, especially in the United States, and Instagram is currently a leader in the social space,? said Thomas Bouillonnec, president of Piaget North America.

?Instagram allows us to reach fans of luxury with creative messages that can differ from traditional advertising,? he said. ?We can share ?behind-the-scenes? moments and evoke a story on this platform that might not be seen elsewhere.?

Frozen pond
In 1880, Georges-Edouard Piaget, while ice-skating with his future wife Emma Bu?nzli, was overwhelmed by the desire to provide her with a beautiful Christmas gift. Over the next several days, he made a fob watch with a protective cover and gave it to her in private.

As the story goes, Ms. Bu?nzli was never separated from the watch again, and she and Mr. Piaget married four months later and went on to have 14 children. The story of everlasting love sealed by a Piaget watch defines the brand as a perfect and long-lasting gift, traditions the brand continues to honor.

The videos break the story up into chapters, with one being posted per day. The first, ?The Skating Pond,? is when Mr. Piaget invited Ms. Bu?nzli to go skating on the pond, located within the Swiss Jura Mountains. Chapter 2, ?The Manufacture,? shows Mr. Piaget working to construct the watch and ?The Dinner? shows them discreetly excusing themselves to unwrap the present.

On the Web site, users are urged to scroll down to the brand?s holiday season collection, which includes watches, rings, bracelets and necklaces. On Instagram, where the extremely short length and animated style makes them ideal fits, Piaget is helping users share the festive shorts with #WinterTale.


Piaget possession ring

The holiday season is a competitive time, with each brand needing to one-up others to convince consumers that its products are the right choice. Creating a story around a gift, particularly jewelry and watches, helps tie Piaget?s products to emotions and sentiments instead of materialism.

Keeping the videos short and stylistically distinct, meanwhile, could help extend Piaget?s reach and bring in consumers who have not interacted with the brand before.

One for the heart
Although it can be difficult for a brand to be creative and successful with gift recommendations year after year in a crowded field, research shows that the path Piaget is taking tends to be successful.

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).


Piaget possessions

A social media initiative is in line with previous Piaget efforts and may be part of an effort to appeal to younger consumers.

This past May, Piaget proved it could keep up with competitors by releasing a modern campaign for the Possession ring that was easily shared on social media.

Many luxury jewelry brands do not take advantage of the latest marketing strategies, preferring to continue with traditional print campaigns in magazines as opposed to the mobile and social media platforms that have become standard in other industries. Modern campaigns that use social media and video can allow a brand to have a larger reach and appeal to younger consumers (see story).

Similarly, the holiday videos give new consumers a chance to learn about the Piaget brand and what it stands for.

?Piaget is incredibly proud of the craftsmanship and expertise that goes into each piece at our workshop in La Côte-aux-Fées and we?d like everyone to have the opportunity to know more about the story behind their necklace, watch or ring,? Mr. Bouillonnec said.