Harmonicas + Whiskey: a perfect pairing.

We're going to dive a little deeper into strategy today, breaking down the logic behind the Tiffany's x Lady Gaga collaboration (in my opinion) and what we can stand to learn from it.

Every once in awhile, I like to do an advertising case study to discuss current commercial work. This dates back to my time in the corporate world -- we would go over recent advertising in our weekly team meetings. We'd chat about what went right, what we loved, and what could have done better. Then we'd apply those lessons to our own work.

Without further ado, let's discuss Tiffany's x Gaga. The first ad of the campaign debuted (in select markets) immediately before Lady Gaga's epic halftime performance at the Super Bowl and as far as advertising goes, I fell in love. Let's go over the facts:

• Gaga is a native New Yorker
• Tiffany's hasn't been on TV in a prominent way in 20+ years
• Tiffany's is playing in a luxury market that gets increasingly over-troped as time goes on

The commercial opens with Gaga playing a harmonica. Black and white (very much Gaga's new aesthetic and Tiffany's always-aesthetic). Then Gaga starts talking about Tiffany's being the cornerstone of New York and herself as a rebel, but that rebellion is rooted in power. Then change.

It then closes with these words: "I think [creativity] is empowering and important. And I'm coming for you."

BREAKING IT DOWN:

This commercial is epic. It checks all of the core marketing boxes (taking a stance, providing a message that many can assimilate to, sharing a call to action, etc.). Tiffany's knew if they were going to splash back into the market, they needed to do so in a way that was authentic to the brand but also acknowledged the changes in the industry in the past 20 years. Without much effort (and through the charming visuals of a truly unscripted advertisement), Tiffany's has opened it's doors to folks who might not have ever even connected with the brand before regardless of sharing the same ideals. It's an ad that Tiffany's new ideal consumer won't soon forget.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:

Consider what Tiffany's has done in this advertisement. They've told the brand story without using their own words. They've highlighted the tremendous evolution of a talented human in the same way that they intend to evolve. They've crafted a message you can resonate with. How can you do the same in your marketing efforts?

• What is the stance that your brand takes within your brand story?
• What is the message that you seek for your ideal client to assimilate to?
• What is the call to action that (if done correctly) should prompt initial action by cold leads that are your ideal client?