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Cartier flaunts simple yet sophisticated design via interactive touch points

French jeweler Cartier is raising awareness for its new Clé de Cartier timepieces among the affluent audience of Condé Nast?s Architectural Digest.

Seen on the mobile-optimized homepage of the lifestyle magazine, Cartier?s ad was enhanced with a short video, which highlighted the shape of the updated classic watch. Keeping in mind a mobile audience, Cartier?s ad kept its film and landing page streamlined.

?Through the creative, Cartier is portraying precision engineering and craftsmanship for the new line of Clé de Cartier,? said Melody Adhami, president and chief operating officer of Plastic Mobile, a Havas company.  

?Their choice of imagery, including interactive blueprints and feature sets, is creating an air of sophistication and class, while simultaneously respecting the iconic history of the brand itself.?

Cartier did not respond before press deadline. 

New classic
Cartier?s ad appeared either in the banner or surrounded by content on Architectural Digest.

?With a price tags ranging between $8,000 to $100,000 or more for the new Clé de Cartier, Cartier is catering to the affluent clientele who has a keen eye for unique and iconic design, which likely corresponds with Architectural Digest readership,? Ms. Adhami said.

The banner leads with the Cartier brand name in its iconic red color, with a close-up image of a Clé de Cartier timepiece to the other side of the placement. Cartier includes no call-to-action, instead relying on its brand name and product to drive click-throughs.

Cartier also ran a placement further down the homepage, nestled among content such as a tour of a Hamptons weekend house. This included an option to play a video.

In the animation, a Clé de Cartier watch is surrounded by a winding red ribbon, which eventually follows the curve of the timepiece, highlighting its shape.

At the end of the video, consumers are prompted to ?discover and shop the new collection.? After clicking through, consumers are sent to a landing page for the collection.

Consumers can choose to browse by styles for him or her.

While Cartier prompts consumers to shop, not all of the watches are available through ecommerce, with some requiring a store visit to purchase. However, consumers can save desired styles to a wishlist, allowing them to easily identify their chosen timepiece later when in-store.

Below the style listings, the watchmaker delves into the redesigned elements of Clé de Cartier. Highlighting its new shape, consumers can swipe along their screen to cover a sketch of a watch with an image of the completed piece.

In other mobile-friendly interactions, consumers can drag their finger over an image to watch a sketch of mechanisms come to life or to turn and reset the crown.

Bringing the offline online
Cartier has recognized that forging a connection with consumers online is an important step in the conversion process, whether the final sale happens in-store or via ecommerce.

Over the holidays, the jeweler brought the bricks-and-mortar experience online with a digital holiday window display.

On the brand?s ecommerce site, consumers could peek into interactive panes, which enabled them to see items in close-up, 360-degrees and shop from the display. While consumers are increasingly warming to the idea of ecommerce, bringing a little bit of retail theater online can help create to elevate the shopping experience (see story). 

Looking to provide top-of-funnel awareness, Cartier has also teamed with publications to reach an affluent audience through content.

Last August, Cartier went distance to capture the adventurous spirit of its ideal male consumer through a paid post featured on The New York Times? Web and mobile sites.

For its ?Going the Distance? effort, Cartier worked with The New York Times? commercial content operation T Brand Studio to develop a story that profiled the ?active, adventurous? wearers of the Calibre de Cartier Carbon Diver timepiece. Cartier?s communications are often traditional, relying on craftsmanship and heritage over outdoor journeys, but this untapped angle may have worked to target male consumers who may have not previously considered the brand as such (see story). 

A mobile approach is strategic for brands looking to reach potential buyers through editorial placements.

?You have to account for a mobile audience when planning a product launch, since a large portion of readers access news and articles via their smartphones,? Ms. Adhami said. ?Understanding theses users? mobile behaviors will allow brands to provide a better user experience, and help drive a more memorable experience.

?This rings especially true for those in the affluent market, since research shows that this group is far more likely to be influenced and make a purchase using their mobile devices,? she said.