Goodbye macho, mechanic olé
IWC has hired JvM/Alster to promote its watches. The final hour has struck for macho irony.
Watches IWC lets JvM/Alster advertise for it. It was an American who won the bid for the oldest water-resistant military watch at the last IWC charity auction. Hardly a coincidence. In the home country of IWC founder Florentine Ariosto Jones, the reputation of the luxury watch brand from Schaffhausen is very good. But almost only among connoisseurs. In US society, however, IWC's reputation still has great potential. The same study came to a similar conclusion for the strategic markets in Asia, and the fact that the International Watch Company has not yet established itself sufficiently among the target groups in these and new markets is attributed to the "macho campaign". The goal of being perceived as an international luxury brand was hindered by the low level of acceptance for the satirized machismo of the previous advertising campaign. "This is surprising in that the mania for masculinity is firmly anchored in the culture in these countries in particular," says Hanspeter Schweizer, CD of IWC's previous agency Wirz Werbung. It is no less surprising that pitch winner Jung von Matt/Alster (JvM) advertises itself with four naked beauties nestled together on fur.
But IWC is not an advertising agency, and certainly not a car rental company like Sixt ("The only thing that rattles here are your wife's teeth", also JvM). Rather, the Richemont Group, to which IWC also belongs, has the sobering UBS market forecasts in mind after encouraging sales figures in the last quarter (+9%). According to them, 2005 will be another tough year for the luxury segment. All the more important
It appeared that a single campaign would be understood and accepted in all markets and that the exploited potential would compensate for stagnating demand.
The question is now justified:
Has JvM/Alster developed an "Esperanto campaign" that resembles the appearance of many luxury watches? The agency is presenting its new IWC campaign just in time for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie from April 4 to 10 in Geneva. Even the subline "Engineered for men" (previously: "IWC. Since 1868 and as long as there have been men") makes the direction clear. Instead of male nefariousness, the focus is on IWC's engineering skills. "IWC is the engineer who builds technically outstanding watches with passion," says Georges Kern, CEO at IWC. This claim is reflected in the communication, albeit with restrained humor. With the core values of technology and engineering, the new headlines continue to address the man - the technician in him.
The campaign has remained unique, as has the watch component in the subjects. However, the image is enhanced with new substance and new elements in the image and copy. This gives the viewer an impression of the mechanical components. If only there wasn't the second narrative strand, which has to bridge the gap to the joke ("Wow!" for the Aquatimer). This often seems artificial and lame. Fortunately, this small print does little to change the typical IWC campaign character that has set it apart from other luxury brands since 1978.
This is what makes the somewhat different man tick: instead of machismo nefariousness, the focus is on IWC's engineering skills.
Luca Aloisi
But IWC is not an advertising agency, and certainly not a car rental company like Sixt ("The only thing that rattles here are your wife's teeth", also JvM). Rather, the Richemont Group, to which IWC also belongs, has the sobering UBS market forecasts in mind after encouraging sales figures in the last quarter (+9%). According to them, 2005 will be another tough year for the luxury segment. All the more important
It appeared that a single campaign would be understood and accepted in all markets and that the exploited potential would compensate for stagnating demand.
The question is now justified:
Has JvM/Alster developed an "Esperanto campaign" that resembles the appearance of many luxury watches? The agency is presenting its new IWC campaign just in time for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie from April 4 to 10 in Geneva. Even the subline "Engineered for men" (previously: "IWC. Since 1868 and as long as there have been men") makes the direction clear. Instead of male nefariousness, the focus is on IWC's engineering skills. "IWC is the engineer who builds technically outstanding watches with passion," says Georges Kern, CEO at IWC. This claim is reflected in the communication, albeit with restrained humor. With the core values of technology and engineering, the new headlines continue to address the man - the technician in him.
The campaign has remained unique, as has the watch component in the subjects. However, the image is enhanced with new substance and new elements in the image and copy. This gives the viewer an impression of the mechanical components. If only there wasn't the second narrative strand, which has to bridge the gap to the joke ("Wow!" for the Aquatimer). This often seems artificial and lame. Fortunately, this small print does little to change the typical IWC campaign character that has set it apart from other luxury brands since 1978.
This is what makes the somewhat different man tick: instead of machismo nefariousness, the focus is on IWC's engineering skills.
Luca Aloisi
