3 X WAYS BOTTEGA VENETA ARE SHOWING UP IRL

As the world scrambles to get ‘metaverse-ready’, luxury Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta have put a block on chasing consumers in the virtual world. Instead, they’ve chosen to engage their community on their own terms.

Here are Bottega Veneta’s three steps to owning life, in real life.

1. BE ANTI-SOCIAL

From Instagram to Weibo, last year saw Bottega set their intent by withdrawing all their social media channels.

Rather than chasing digital trends, Creative Director Daniel Lee replaced the brand’s posts with a joyful quarterly online magazine that he hopes will offer “more progressive and more thoughtful” content than an Instagram feed.

Bottega’s anti-social strategy is compelling amid the overflowing sea of content we face today and, ironically, has the whole internet talking. In fact, going dark on their own channels certainly hasn’t stopped the conversation. The buzz around the brand means influencers and celebrities have continued to post their Bottega Veneta selfies – with one fan account, @newbottega, gaining almost a million followers.

2. GO LOCAL

Another IRL pledge from the brand comes in the form of “Bottega for Bottegas”, a platform to support local makers, or “bottegas”, across Italy. Celebrating the country’s independent food, drink, and craft culture, Bottega Veneta handed over its advertising, web, newsletter and window spaces to twelve artisanal Italian businesses from all corners of the country.

“We are excited to present Bottega for Bottegas together with a number of Italian artisans with whom we share the common values of creativity and craftsmanship,” commented CEO Bartolomeo Rongone in a statement. “We are proud to be able to offer global visibility to these “Bottegas” deeply ingrained in Italian culture, especially during these times that local businesses are suffering as a result of the impact of the pandemic.”

3. CREATE UNMISSABLE OOH

Harnessing the (albeit touch-and-go) return of travel post-covid, Bottega Veneta have also started showing up in iconic locations across sky and sea.

With the insight that in-store buyers tend to spend more than e-commerce customers, the brand has been going hard with unmissable outdoor campaigns aimed at their growing younger customer base. So far, they’ve installed ads on LA flightpath rooftops, as well as a takeover of Sydney’s much-loved Bondi pools.

However, going hard is what almost sent Bottega home with their recent Chinese New Year campaign.

In what they called an ‘honour’ of the Lunar New Year, the fashion house installed a giant branding opportunity across a portion of the Great Wall of China, accompanied by a “Happy New Year” message. The brand also pledged a donation in support of the restoration of the Shanhai Pass, one of the Great Wall's major passes situated in Shanhaiguan District.

Despite the publicity grab’s mixed reception across social media (given the landmark’s cultural importance), Chinese media outlets appear to be lapping the stunt up. Jing Daily praised the brand’s ability to authentically mesh local cultures with their identity, stating: “In an age where each brand bets big on digital revolutions, the metaverse, and NFTs, Bottega Veneta wins the day by valuing the past that is moulding our future.”

SEEN is compiled by LOVE’s Head of Culture, Kat Towers. Want to say hello, ask questions or challenge her cultural knowledge? Get in touch - kattowers@lovecreative.com