Underwhelming Luxury!

All pitches are fascinating but last week's was particularly so. If only to see how some luxury brands are really undermining their status and future in the current economic climate.

Our brief was from a Client whos brand oozed luxury; individuality; painstaking attention to detail and the kind of pride and passion in it’s product that you’d expect from a premium priced product.
 
In this era of austerity, it’s not the done thing to simply scatter  cash on frivolous items: people want to be seen to be more discriminating in their purchases.  They still want luxury brands to justify their premium pricing, if only to justify their purchase to friends and family.
 
So, in these trying times, how have certain brands behaved?
 
Unfortunately,  for some,  in an attempt to cut costs and enhance profits, the very detail that makes the brand special are literally stripped-out of the product.
 
Sorry to name names, but when I was thinking about this , my rubber-soled Church shoes……my Aquascutum coat without lining….my plastic barrelled Mont Blanc fountain pen with equally plastic ink cartridge, all screamed danger and short termism!!
 
So  a plea to certain luxury brands out there that want to survive the global recession: justify your premium price and allure of your brand by retaining and building upon the detail of your differentiation.
 
Just like our family-owned pitch prospect has done for decades.