Burberry plays the rom com card to boost sales

With its new advertising campaign, Burberry is relying on humor and “rom com” nostalgia to restore its image.

In financial difficulty for several months, Burberry is attempting to reconnect with its British identity through an original communications strategy. Under the slogan “Modern British Luxury”, the house headed for the past six months by Joshua Schulman is refocusing its campaigns on its iconic pieces. A much-needed change of direction after the unsuccessful repositioning initiated by Creative Director Daniel Lee since his arrival in 2022, marked by new logos and motifs that were hardly recognized by its clientele.

Back to basics with a sense of humor

Launched in October 2024, the “It’s Always Burberry Weather” campaign now takes a humorous approach. It highlights the brand’s must-have pieces, including the famous trench coat, but also the quilt, harrington and duffle coat. Timeless pieces embodied on screen by British stars such as Olivia Colman, Cara Delevingne and Barry Keoghan, an actor recently revealed in the Netflix film Saltburn.

This strategic shift seems to be bearing fruit, with the brand reporting a slight upturn in sales at the end of 2024.

“London in Love”: a tribute to romantic comedies

Following on from this, Burberry is launching a new series entitled “It’s Always Burberry Weather: London in Love”, this time exploring the world of British romantic comedies from the 90s and 2000s. The spots, accompanied by the song “When Love Breaks Down” by the band Prefab Sprout, play on love clichés with humor and lightness.

Actresses Kate Winslet and Jodie Turner-Smith, as well as models Naomi Campbell and Liu Wen, are the protagonists of funny, offbeat situations, such as an improbable cab scene with a knight in shining armor.

Beyond the celebrities, the real star remains the trench coat, the brand’s signature piece since 1879, omnipresent in every episode. A successful return to solid values for a brand in search of a renaissance.

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