Netting The Next Generation
Why the fine jewellery houses are diving into collaborations with millennial-friendly celebrities
Celebrity partnerships are common in fashion, but in the world of fine jewellery, where workmanship and heritage are valued over hype, and where prices can hit six figures, they have traditionally been less common. Fine jewellery is not immune to demographics, and the sector is increasingly making efforts to appeal to the millennial audience— customers of the future who will increasingly build relationships with, and even purchase from, fine jewellery brands online. According to a recent report by Research and Markets, the value of the global jewellery sector is expected to reach US$257 billion this year and to grow at an annual rate of 5 per cent over the next five years. While the online fine jewellery market currently accounts for only a fraction (4 to 5 per cent) of this, it is expected to grow at a much faster rate, and to capture 10 per cent of the market by 2020. With this in mind, brands are increasingly focused on growing their online audiences, and there can be no better way to do that than by harnessing the vast followings of celebrities.
“I’ve always been in love with Chopard’s exquisite jewellery,” says Rihanna, who announced in June that she had collaborated on the brands latest jewellery line, “so to actually design collections with them is something I still can’t believe.” Unlike in many other brand-celebrity partnerships, Rihanna was personally involved in the design process for her namesake collection, which takes inspiration from her Bajan roots: lush gardens, colourful tropical flora and carnival dress. There’s even a “making of ” video online featuring the performer in the workshop selecting stones and designs with Chopard co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele. “Rihanna and I collaborated closely on this collection, so you can feel her unstoppable energy, strong creativity and inherent sense of design in every piece,” says Scheufele. “With her unique style, she redefines the way people see and wear jewellery.”
In addition to lending the collection some of her muchlauded style and swagger, the partnership provides an opportunity for Chopard to leverage Rihanna’s 55 million followers on Instagram. When @badgalriri, as she refers to herself on social media, shared one of the behind-the-scenes campaign videos, it received more than 4 million likes. The same video on the Chopard account, by way of comparison, received 30,000.
star power
Michelle Williams wears pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Blossom BB collection. Opposite page clockwise from top left: Lily Aldridge wears high jewellery pieces by Bulgari; Keira Knightley dons Coco Crush pieces by Chanel; Jessica Chastain wears high jewellery by Piaget; Shu Qi rocks it in B.zero pieces by Bulgari
While for the vast majority of those 4 million people who clicked “like” on the video, Rihanna’s fine jewellery collection will be unattainable, some of the audience will be able to afford pieces from her core collection (which starts at US$1,070) and some will inevitably—and crucially for Chopard—be fine jewellery shoppers of the future.
Tiffany & Co is making similar efforts to appeal to a younger and wider audience, appointing Lady Gaga as its latest brand ambassador. A new 60-second campaign film, directed by American Vogue’s Grace Coddington, premiered in the US during the half-time ads at the Super Bowl in February, thus reaching an estimated 111 million people. Add to that the 25.2 million Instagram followers with whom Lady Gaga shared the content, and the resulting exposure is vast.
“I think Tiffany & Co represents timeless American jewellery,” says Gaga in the campaign video. “I think it is so definitive and iconic in the way that it has trademarked its vision, but it continues to push and be interesting and evolve with the times.” While some might regard the singer-songwriter’s flamboyant—and often risqué—personal style to be at odds with the classic timelessness of the brand, Gaga’s boldness works well with the Hardware collection, which is aesthetically edgier and more urban than previous lines. Building on the design of a unisex bracelet from 1971 found in the Tiffany & Co archives, the collection includes bold 18K gold and sterling silver ball, lock and chain-themed earrings, rings, necklaces and pendants.
“I love Tiffany Hardwear because it’s different and elegant—but it’s not what you would expect of elegance. That’s like me, I think—i’m a bit different,” says Lady Gaga. Caroline Naggiar, chief brand officer of Tiffany & Co, explains that as “an important artist in pursuit of originality and creativity, Gaga personifies our new fashion jewellery collection, Tiffany Hardwear.”
Bulgari has also appointed several millennial-friendly ambassadors in recent years—from Taiwanese actress Shu Qi and Chinese-canadian actor, singer and model Kris Wu, to Lily Aldridge and more recently Bella Hadid. These celebrities all bring a young, fresh perspective to the storied Italian brand. On the subject of Lily Aldridge’s appointment, Bulgari communications director Stéphane Gerschel says, “She is such a versatile and multifaceted ambassador for the brand, and she incarnates to perfection the new Bulgari woman—indulgent, unapologetic, always alive but also unexpected.”
Just as Bulgari is turning to hyperinfluential celebrities to speak to the next generation of Bulgari woman, so too are many other fine jewellery brands. Louis Vuitton appointed American actress Michelle Williams as the face of its new Blossom BB collection, X-men star Jessica Chastain has become the new face of Piaget, and English actress Keira Knightley is the face of Chanel fine jewellery. The trend for young, glamorous celebrity muses is evident. And while these brands all have hundreds of years of heritage and expertise, convincing millennials of the appeal of fine gems—and their fine gems in particular—is of paramount importance to ensuring they weather the next hundred.
BRANDS ARE INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON GROWING THEIR ONLINE AUDIENCES, AND THERE CAN BE NO BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN BY HARNESSING THE VAST FOLLOWINGS OF CELEBRITIES