Why are brands putting an emphasis on logos again?

In July 2016, a rumour was whispered in the fashion world, claiming
that Bernard Arnault was disappointed with the results of Nicolas
Guesquière who had done wonders at Balenciaga. Guesquière had replaced Marc
Jacobs as the head of Louis Vuitton with the mission to breathe its
“premium” aura back into the leather goods maker. The rumour was false,
with the proof being that Guesquière is still there. However, it was true
that the figures for Louis Vuitton were disappointing: the star brand
experienced a fall in growth in Asia.

The analysis of the fall was that the brand had succumbed to the charms
of the “total logo.” The decrease in numbers of Asian customers was
interpreted as indicating there was a new, more demanding and subtle
generation of consumers. This new generation of consumers aimed to mark
themselves out from the mass by separating themselves from flashy items
that were too visibly branded. Any extravagant and ostentatious symbol was
deemed excessive and therefore vulgar. Bottega Veneta was considered a
chic brand. Louis Vuitton therefore wanted to develop its “premium” brand
and place less emphasis on items displaying the overly famous monogram.

With the fall, it must be recognised that this analysis was inaccurate
or patchy. If Asian customers were suddenly opting out of buying
monogrammed items, it was not out of contempt but an obligation. In
December 2012, one month after his appointment as head of the Chinese
Communist party, General Secretary Xi Jinping launched a wide ranging
anti-corruption campaign. The campaign was aimed at restoring credibility
to the government as the extravagances of some of its members had
profoundly shocked the people. Xi Jinping announced with determination that
it was targeting the “tigers ,” namely the powerful, as well as the
“flies,” meaning the lower officials. The number of officials who were
punished for corruption in the space of five years was 1.3 million. Under
these conditions, it was understood that it was no longer possible to
appear in public with an expensive watch on your wrist or with luxury,
blatantly monogrammed bags. It was what may be called a “low profile”
period.

This restrictive and enforced asceticism has ended. The taking in hand
of the Party by the Chinese President is complete and Xi Jinping’s
enemies have melted away. The 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
held in October 2017 gave all the signs of a relaxation in the rigour, to
the great relief of the financial markets. The President now has new
priorities including reducing the unequal geographical distribution of
Chinese growth. The president also is aiming to unify this two-speed China,
which is now necessary to promote the average affluent society. This
average affluent society is the ideal target for the luxury brands.
Ultimately, there is nothing like a logo for winning the loyalty and
encouraging desire of a new set of customers.

Strong rise in the sale of fashion and leather goods in
China

Currently, the growth in fashion and leather goods in continental
China is between 30 and 40 percent. This rise is over the whole of the
fashion and luxury accessories sector. LVMH and Kering have substantially
benefited from the rebound of demand in Asia since the second six-months of
2016. The excellent results announced by the two luxury groups are proof of
this.

Why are brands going back to the logo?

To grab the attention of this providential manna of customers reverting to
sound and healthy behavior, the brands are using some old tricks, like
everyone: the monogram and the logo. One tool that particularly helps them
to promote the visual power of this ceremonial symbol is Instagram. For
several months, the stars have been unashamedly posting in Total Look,
without excessive concern for shades. They are right: the social network
with its small size labels that can be seen on mobile telephone screens is
not the place to display a visually over-subtle and complex message. It
needs to make an immediate hit. The last post from Rihanna, literally
dressed from head to toe in clothing clearly labelled with the Gucci name
collected 3 million likes in record time. On podiums, the star brands, led
by Vuitton and Gucci, no longer design fashion parades without clothing on
which is spectacularly displayed an explosion of immediately recognisable
acronyms.

This week, the very chic department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche,
owned by the LVMH Group, is taking over the reins in spreading the word
during Paris fashion week with its new exhibition event called “Let’s Go
Logo!” There are 130 brands in all categories including: fashion,
accessories, beauty and the home. The department store had agreed for
the occasion to produce exclusive limited collections and to play with
their identities. Two guests of honour attended the gathering: the
lifestyle label Lola James Harper created by Rami Mekdachi who transformed
the first Bon Marché stage into a hotel lobby; and the luxury streetwear
label Off-White founded by Virgil Abloh who signed an exclusive “Rive
Gauche” [Left Bank] collection and re-wrote the spirit attached to this
title with a stage design inspired by places and cafés in Paris.

Here, the generation born in the 1980s is the clear target. To be
convinced of this, just look at the site 24 Sèvres which honours eight
personalities, that is, eight “influencers” who for this occasion are
sharing their opinions on the use of the logo. These opinions are clearly
positive. For Anil, whose fame is attested to by his 700,000 followers, the
logo “represents the true identity of the brand.” He adds, “It is not
necessarily the name of the brand that creates the exclusivity, but its
logo, such as the F in Fendi or the cross in Off-White.” This view is
shared by Alice and JS, the lifestyle couple who write on their blog,
“without a logo, no brand can build its identity.” With this insight,
it’s best to pay attention to the foregoing.

Photo Sources: Louis Vuitton / Gucci