Last week we saw life imitate a meme with Loewe’s Tomato bag. Whilst the bag was already in the making, I have been fan-girling the social media chain of events that took place in the lead up to the reveal.
Step 1
Gianna Rosina posted an unusual looking heirloom tomato. Which has now received 6.5M views on X, she later went on to post ‘four years of fashion school and hard work only for my most viral post to be about a tomato… oh’.
Step 2
Connor Downey did what the internet does best and retweeted the image commenting ‘This tomato is Loewe. Can’t explain it’.
This in itself is a huge indicator of success for Loewe. It demonstrates how powerful the brand has become to the point where a mere fruit can represent it.
This is thanks to the deep work the creative team have been crafting and executing:
Gifting and mailers
Fashion week invites
Talent curation and integration at shows and events
The craftsmanship of product
Brand extensions e.g. the Loewe exhibition
Social content
TOV
All of these touch points have compounded and created a brand that is recognisable through its physical goods and even more intangibly, its energy and aura. They have also proven that one singular brand moment doesn’t last, but a handful of moments do, also known as ‘Loewe Longevity’.
Step 3
The brand’s Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson directly responded to the tweet revealing an actual Loewe tomato bag, titled ‘Loewe, meme to reality’. This acknowledgement is key, it’s what disseminates it further to the masses. It creates new conversation loops, and ultimately gets people excited, no doubt boosting brand affinity - we live for organic interactions.
Hot takes from my Google Doc:
Step 0. I would love to see them explore ‘Step 0’, by partnering with the fruit and vegetable supplier who cultivates or supplies similar tomatoes. They could weave this into a show, ensuring it consists of unusual looking produce to exist alongside the pieces of their collection. The show should simply be called ‘Organic’. This unlocks more associations for the brand with simple everyday objects, so when you or I are next doing our weekly shop and spot an unconventional looking pepper, courgette, or onion we’ll probably think of Loewe.
Co-creation. I would like to see the brand work closer with budding audiences and collaborate on designs, go-to-market strategies, and general brand inspiration. Audiences and fans love it when ‘normal people’ are brought in. Truly championing direction and foresight of both the design team and ‘on the ground’ audiences.
Expanding permissions. Moments like this give Loewe permission to play in diverse areas thanks to their established aesthetic. Recently we’ve seen the ‘Crafted World’ exhibition, maybe next a Spanish vineyard experience, or perhaps a camping expedition given the rise in outdoor and technical performance wear. There are a number of areas in culture the brand could capitalise on through carefully crafted experiences.
Lean into scrappiness. Continue working with an organic lens. At the moment the fashion house gives off the impression ideas were off the cuff and didn’t require boardroom sign off. THIS is where brands, especially luxury brands, can win.
People over brand. Keeping dialogue between Gianna, Connor, and Jonathan Anderson and not involving Loewe’s brand accounts paid off. There is a huge shift towards leveraging personalities of the brand and we’ve seen this in action with the likes of Simon Porte Jacquemus for Jacquemus, and Miuccia Prada for Prada - both of which featured in the recent quarterly Lyst index of fashion’s most prominent brands.
Tomato Performance
Connor Downey featured on the Too Online podcast to talk all things virality
Editorial coverage dominated the internet - see WWD, Hypebeast, Vogue, Teen Vogue
Twitter views have hit 6.5M on a single post
Jonathan Anderson’s Instagram reveal hit 2.8M views - his most views ever
Thank you for reading! Follow @inmygoogledocera on IG for more updates 📁
