French leather goods maker Hermès is introducing consumers to its universe of menswear through ?a man, a list, a twist.?

Hermès teased the campaign, which debuted Sept. 8, through an acrostic poem spelling out the word ?man? with the phrases reading ?M for mark your calendars, A for all eyes on 8th September, N for not quite yet?? alongside a graphic of a pinball machine becoming a man in a suit. The Le MANifeste campaign highlights Hermès? menswear through a variety of interactions sure to keep the effort and the brand?s men?s apparel and accessories top of mind.

?Any opportunity to engage customers in a new interactive way is a good thing,? said Donn Gobin, chief operating officer at Aurnhammer, New York. ?When brands push innovation it is important to make sure the technology does not get in the way of the experience.

?Hermès? culture and lifestyle is prominent in this campaign and appeals to today?s powerful man,? he said. ?It?s not about what you are wearing, but more about how its clothing and accessories make you feel when you are wearing them.?

Following the teaser, Hermèsintroduced its Le MANifeste effort on social media with a second cartoon of a to-do list becoming the pinstripes in a suit, buttons becoming skateboard wheels and returning to the pinball motif seen in the first graphic.

<br /><i>Le MANifeste d?Hermès</i></div><div><br /></div><div>A click-through lands on the dedicated microsite for Le MANifeste d?Hermès and by scrolling downward six sections of content can be explored. The first is titled ?3 Ways to be the King of the Castle,? and when a flashing icon is clicked, content loads with instructions that say, ?click and hold anywhere on the screen to see the images.?</div><div><br /></div><div>By doing so, a slideshow of images begins that shows a man building a geometric sand castle while text below outlines the steps seen. The following two sections showcase similar imagery where men in suits playing in the sand build sand castles with steep angles and peaks.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next section is dedicated to Hermès? men?s bags and features an x-ray guessing game. Consumers are asked to guess what is inside four leather bags and briefcases after viewing an x-ray image of each of their contents.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Hermès Cityhall briefcase is shown in x-ray vision before a timer appears in the corner of the screen. When time runs out, the consumer must try to remember what they saw in the bag by clicking the objects provided. A score is then generated along with a full picture of the items seen inside the bag.</div></div><div align="baseline"><br /><img src="http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/lib/26605.png" /></div><div><div><i>Hermès x-ray guessing game featuring the Cityhall briefcase</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>Le MANifeste?s third section is dedicated to Hermès? ties. In the three subsections, a video begins but quickly becomes a cartoon that shows Hermès? ties and scarves swimming with dolphins on a roller coaster and breakdancing before reverting to real life film.</div><div><br /></div><div>Footwear is displayed in the next area of consumer discovery on the Le MANifeste microsite. Here, the consumer can slide five different pairs of men?s shoes using their mouse of finger to make the footwear ?dance.?</div><div><br /></div><div>This interaction allows the consumer to see the details of the footwear in a fun way and picture the shoe in their daily lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, Hermès presents 65 words to ?spark [consumers'] inner poet? designed to look like refrigerator poem generator magnets. Word choices include those associated with Hermes? menswear and leather goods such as horse, Paris, luggage, pinstripes and cashmere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Consumers can drag their word poems to create their own phrase and then select ?finish? to see a quote from a number of poets before being asked to share the word poems socially or using an embed code.<br /><div><br /></div><div>The final section includes a field for consumers to sign up for newsletter notifications for Hermès MANifeste. By creating an account on the site, the consumer gains access to exclusive MANifeste content.</div><div><br /></div><div>Interestingly, although Hermès included different elements of its menswear offerings such as footwear, apparel and leather goods, none of its content was shoppable, nor did it link to ecommerce pages for the featured items.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Digital doings</b></div><div>Digital marketing has evolved from the simple to the complex, as brands seek better ways to engage with consumers through meaningful touchpoints that both excite and interest the target consumer.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the luxury space, gamification, featured in Hermes? Le MANifeste, has been used by brands such as Harrods to reach an aspirational audience.</div><div><br /></div><div>For two years running, the British department store got shoe fanatics to engage with its footwear sales floor with a footwear-themed digital game.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first version, Stiletto Wars, was accessible in the September 2014 issue of Harrods? magazine application, as well as in a window display at the retailer?s London store. Providing an entertaining way to interact with products allows brands to engage consumers on an ongoing basis via their mobile devices, as well as providing an active way for aspirational consumers to get involved (see story).</div><div><br /></div><div>Various viewing techniques have also been attempted by luxury houses ranging from changes in viewer perspective to two-screen experiences and Web cam integration.</div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, Italian fashion label Giorgio Armani asked consumers to share their unique perspectives by placing themselves within its Frames of Life eyewear campaign.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a dedicated microsite, consumers could connect and view a series of films featuring diverse, global individuals, with an optional Web cam eye-controlled navigation for added immersion. Allowing consumers to place themselves within the campaign may have lead to higher engagement with Armani?s content (see story).</div><div><br /></div><div>Consumers are more likely to be receptive to a campaign if it is highly engaging.</div><div><br /></div><div>?[Hermès'] consumers will be receptive to this campaign because it speaks to more than just fashion,? Mr. Gobin said. ?A man in Hermès demands respect.?</div></div><div><br /></div></div> </body> </html>