I hope you enjoy this series of concepts, ideations, and creative winks. x1 a month, let’s go!
VOLUME 1 📂
Insights [Consumer]
A) This year we will see a stronger emphasis in audio marketing. Overall we are becoming more susceptible to audio experiences in TV + films (who scored it e.g. Challengers, The White Lotus soundtrack going viral), food (Barilla’s perfectly timed pasta making playlists), hotels (Hotel Costes Paris broadcast 24 hour music streams), retail (Zara’s viral House playlists).
B) We are repping an intense loneliness pandemic. This month The Atlantic reported an array of lonely stats including, solo dining on the increase, people buy only x3 cinema tickets a year (once a highly social activity has become more solitary), and political leaders in the UK and Japan are implementing Ministers of Loneliness.
C) We are experiencing a crisis of play. People want to connect and play with each other. 66% of consumers seek a deeper meaningful experience with brands and reject the notion of becoming passive purchasers in a world of retail abundance. There’s a reason why videos like this go viral. Play, dance, move, say hiii more!
What I’ve been seeing
🟢 Big picture: Zara is rebranding as a luxury label. The brand which has always been in close proximity to fast food courts in malls is now investing in high profile collaborations, luxury model casting and retail store makeovers which feel more like art galleries than a shop floor.
🟢 Small picture: in the last few months we have seen music on the shop floor become more than just ‘retail music’, individuals have been discovering new artists, tracks and vibes in store - making ‘dwell time’ more entertaining than we thought. There are TikTokers making content about Zara music discoveries and playlists dedicated to ‘Zara House Music’ with almost 100,000 saves on Spotify.
It’s official - Zara has organically built a foundation in culture which gives them permission to navigate into realms beyond fashion and retail.
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Concept
Introducing… ✨Club Zara✨. A hedonistic space dedicated to movement, expression and community.
Music - For an exclusive Summer period Zara would launch a club space in Ibiza, appoint a Music Director to program specific House sets and feature a curation of emerging and established DJs.
Who - a tiered attendee approach will be applied to include influencers, press, Zara models, and general public to amplify the new opening and produce a Tsunami of user generated content.
Fashion - Attendees and DJ’s will be dressed in new collection Zara and all images captured will comprise a look book for their next release. Seeing the clothes in motion, but more importantly in ‘hedonism heaven’ would be a key motivation to purchase especially because consumers buy feelings not products.
Vibe - Chandeliers, tray service, sparkle, hedonism, party, cigarettes indoors, espressos, martinis, plush velvet, dramatic lighting.
Personally, I feel there’s nothing more attractive than when a brand taps into an existing consumer truth or insight in a way that feels connected to the culture and has an element of participatory nature associated with it. Given the pre existing excitement around Zara’s cultural presence, from their hyper alternative models pictured on kitchen hobs on their website, through to the growing advocacy of their retail audio experience, Club Zara is bound to create a level of organic buzz - I will put my brand new butter dish on it.
