Yayoi Kusama X Louis Vuitton
Inspired connections
I started learning arts since I was 7 years old and interested in modern arts and luxury brands as growing up. At the same time, Yayoi Kusama is my favorite artist and Louis Vuitton is also my favorite brand so far. As a Taiwanese live in Asia for more than twenty years, we are familiar with Japan and their culture and have traveled their many times. This is also the reason why I noticed their collaboration.
Inspiration:
-3D billboard in Shibuya, Japan
Insights
The collaboration between two big characters (has been well-known already) can not only build a new image but also maximize their benefit with a appropriate marketing strategy.
Impact: (focus on Asia market)
Luxury brands are more likely to set up art exhibition to attract young people, especially in Taiwan. (LV has shift their TA from the age above 40 to a younger generation successfully by doing so) (They believe that “those young people who go to the exhibition may turn into your loyal customer someday in the future. I can totally feel that because I thought the products from LV are old fashion when seeing my mom having their handbags when I was little. As growing up, seeing their collaborations with supreme, Nike Air Force, and Takashi Murakami…, I have a new image with LV that they are more than a historical brand, but also modern and trendy.)
Louis Vuitton used the collaborations as a marketing tool to promote their brand-new flagship store. The flagship store was actually finished and ready to open on Dec 2022. But they decide to catch the rage of Kusama and wait for the launch day to hit the market with these two new features.
Key Takeaways
-Localization:
I appreciate their strategy to host localize exhibitions in Asia because Asian people may not as familiar with their brand story and history as European do. They exhibited a classic luggage from one of the most famous Taiwanese Director, Sylvia Chang and a LV Speedy form a very famous and respectful singer, Teresa Teng Li-Chun that made lots of resonate with Taiwanese people. They built an emotional connection with Taiwanese people in a different way.
-Public Art:
One of their marketing strategies is to set up installation art to make arts more accessible to public (which can also mean that luxury brands can also be close to public not only for rich people), such as the Yayoi Kusama in the 3D billboard, the iconic dots accumulation and LV logo on Tokyo tower, huge robot in the pop-up shop, etc. These installations attract tons of people and KOL’s visiting and posting on their social media and go viral.