A Lucire special promotion

‘If a man suddenly gives you flowers, that’s Impulse,’ has been one of the most famous catch-phrases of the last generation, since Fabergé introduced it in South Africa in the 1970s. Variations on the theme have come and gone, and in 2015, Impulse moves to a new generation with Bambi Northwood-Blyth—one of Lucire’s newsmakers of 2013—and her husband Dan Single, formerly of Ksubi, fronting its latest campaign.
   Northwood-Blyth has been securing campaigns, including fashion label Ba&Sh, because she somehow taps into the Zeitgeist. She also has her own fashion line, B.BAM, and her sense of style and levity have made her more real and endearing to her fans. At Impulse, she joins former Lucire cover girl Zippora Seven and Erin Heatherton and was even placed in charge of the brand’s Instagram for one week.
   The new video, which broke for Valentine’s Day, is not just about the day itself, but embracing love, life and friendship every day. It’s unusual in featuring a real-life married couple who are very much in love, and Northwood-Blyth’s popularity among fashion cognoscenti, plus her social media following, bring it right into the mid-2010s. Gone is the “flowers” theme in favour of the couple on a getaway, and emphasizing that true love isn’t just about that initial “impulse” that drove the original, and perhaps dated advertising. It’s about a real partnership between a couple, in everything they do.
   Like Northwood-Blyth’s other appearances, there is a genuine feel to it, even though the Impulse campaign is more stylized than her own social media, which have shown more behind-the-scenes material. It’s bound to earn her even more fans, while helping to reinvent Impulse as less fanciful, and more part of a real, lasting, romance.

Post sponsored by Unilever

A Lucire special promotion

Reebok has one of the most storied histories of any of the sports brands: its forerunner was, for example, the choice of the British Olympic team in 1924, dramatized in the movie Chariots of Fire. And in the late 1980s, there wasn’t a brand that was more fashionable than Reebok as its Pump became closely tied to the era.
   It’s never been a brand that’s needed fancy celebrity endorsements. It has been slightly more restrained as a brand, and its latest commercial, in the wake of the Super Bowl in the US, exhibits a level of honesty not often seen in a sector that relies on being flashy and impactful.
   Reebok’s latest campaign, entitled Be More Human, shows everyday people pushing themselves further, for the purpose of personal fulfilment. Reebok taps in to a very real motivation for most people who work out: to be healthier and stronger for themselves, not for gold medals or recognition on a football pitch. In recent times, Reebok has partnered with CrossFit, which is aimed at fitness fanatics. It’s part of Reebok’s efforts to rebrand itself, a programme that began five years ago when it revealed its delta symbol.
   The campaign, which broke at the end of January, connects Reebok’s shoes and apparel to those fitness enthusiasts, something which its president, Matt O’Toole, sees as part of the brand’s roots. It appears to be paying off: Reebok has experienced seven straight quarters of growth. No longer is it chasing competitors or trying to be something else: Reebok has found its groove being itself. It’s something it wants to urge its consumers to do now, too, and, consequently, there’s a sense of authenticity to its efforts.

Post sponsored by Reebok

Tom Schirmacher

Karen Walker Eyewear has announced its summer 2015 collection, and, in the brand’s inimitable style, sees Toast, a King Charles cavalier spaniel, as the model.
   Brands all over the world want celebrities with strong social media followings, and Karen Walker is no exception. The rescued “it” dog has 154,000 Instagram followers and has already donned shades on her account. Now as the spokesdog for Karen Walker Eyewear, she’s expected to be wearing her new brand on the streets of New York.
   In a release, Walker cheekily says, ‘We were after a model for this campaign who could fit with our caramelly colour palette and also someone whose hair would work with our three wind machines hitting her from every angle to create a slightly ’70s vibe. Toast ticked every one of those boxes.’
   The new campaign, hashtagged #toastmeetskaren, has been photographed by Tom Schirmacher, and creative-directed by Mikhail Gherman. Grooming for Toast was by Hannah Raymond, and hair by Gavin Harwin.
   The collection has five new styles, featuring two-tone patchwork with gold trim, dusty colours, and CR39 lenses for UV protection. The eyewear is double-polished and cured for strength.
   The company can claim Beyoncé, Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, Lena Dunham, Gwen Stefani, Alexa Chung, Lady Gaga, Lorde and Florence Welch among its wearers. The range hits stores in February 2015.

Tom Schirmacher

A Lucire special promotion

Now that it’s summer, those nearest the South Pole have to take particular care when stepping out into the sun over the holidays. The knowledge that the ozone hole has been growing, while the ice caps melt, is not too far from everyone’s minds, especially when the weather forecast gives you “burn times”. It’s hardly relaxing when you have to time just how long you can lie down on one side while the sun beats down.
   Nivea Sun is launching a perfectly timed campaign for the upcoming days off for those lucky enough to have a summer holiday. It’s a great way to learn about how sun screen can protect your skin.
   Using an ultraviolet camera, you’re able to tell just how the sun can damage your skin. Normally, you can’t see sun screen because we want to look as natural as we can, so it appears to fade away. However, the ultraviolet camera reveals just how sun screen can protect skin: despite being invisible to the naked eye, it’s like a solid layer that coats the skin.
   Nivea’s Sun range has a wide range of products, from its Kids’ Sunscreen Spray with SPF 50 to an after-sun body lotion that helps moisturize and restore skin. Some are designed to be water-resistant for four hours for those who like to swim or even play in the ocean or the pool, while the Ultra Sport Protect Cooling Sunscreen Spray (aerosol or spray) gives protection for those in outdoor sports this summer. You should bear in mind that old sun screens are ineffective, and Nivea advises against using any that have been opened from last season.
   You can find out more from Nivea Australia’s Facebook this summer.

Post sponsored by Nivea

Model Chrissy Teigen and DJ Jack Guinness front Ugg’s winter 2015 marketing campaign, which débuted Friday.
   The campaign, called This Is Ugg, was shot in Iceland, and emphasizes the range’s weatherproof, waterproof and water-resistant qualities. It will run through February 1.
   The campaign is also designed to connect emotionally to consumers, and sees Teigen and Guinness “unplugging” in Iceland to reconnect to the environment and experiences, including discovering local treasures and reflecting on a snow-topped glacier, says the company.
   The women’s collection includes the Emalie boot, with waterproof leather and a water-repellent wool blend; the Simmens boot with a water-resistant shaft and a cozy lining; and the Adirondack Boot II with waterproof full-grain leather, cuffable suede shaft, and an exclusive Vibram outsole for snowy weather.
   The men’s collection sees the Munroe boot with oiled suede and waterproof leather, rated to –20°C (–4°F) and featuring the Vibram outsole; the Classic Mini Déco with a moisture-wicking interior and sophisticated stitching at the heel counter; and the Butte pairs with cuffable, waterproof leather and nylon, finished with the Vibram outside and moisture-wicking lining.
   Ugg has launched two videos already, including one entitled Soul Food, featuring Teigen indulging in food and beauty. ‘Life goes by so quickly so it is really important to create time and space for yourself. Sometimes you have to think of your surroundings and how blessed you are: Close your eyes, take it all in and be in the moment. In Iceland we were surrounded by so much beauty and so much simplicity­ it’s just food for the soul,’ she says in the video.
   In On the Rocks, Guinness reflects on the dramatic Icelandic landscape: ‘It’s rugged and magic. I want to meet the people, listen to the music that’s popular there, and learn about their culture. Does living in Iceland create a different outlook on life? An original æsthetic and way of looking at things? I want to drink and dance with the locals, and try and see the world through their eyes. It sounds cheesy but it’s true! I’m really, really excited … I’ll keep a diary while I’m out there, sometimes writing helps me share thoughts that would otherwise go unexpressed and be forgotten. I don’t just want to remember what I did, I want to remember how it made me feel.’

The $300 million budget set aside for Spectre, the 24th Eon James Bond film, will need a marketing bonanza. After Aston Martin revealed its DB10—10 cars built exclusively for the film and not general sale—and Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that they would be supplying a C-X75 and Range Rover vehicles, Belvedere Vodka is next, launching its global partnership with James Bond at the Bond in Motion exhibition at the London Film Museum last night.
   Guests included Lily Cole, Tinie Tempah, Amber Atherton, Pixie Geldof, Douglas Booth, Kim Hersov, Ella Catliff and Christophe Navarre, while Belvedere president Charles Gibb played host.
   Belvedere’s limited-edition bottles see the Belvedere palace replaced with an image of the MI6 headquarters from the film, while its trade-mark blue will be changed to green, on one. These will be limited to 100 bottles. The second change will be to Belvedere’s Silver Sabre bottles.
   The marketing programme commences in February, with point-of-sale promotions. Updates will be put on Belvedere’s Instagram account.
   Spectre, which is named after the fictional terrorist organization from the Ian Fleming novels, will première on November 6, 2015. Daniel Craig will return as the super-spy, and the cast includes Monica Bellucci, Léa Seydoux, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, and Christoph Waltz as the villain. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson produce, while Sam Mendes (Skyfall) returns to direct.

A Lucire special promotion

While Lucire has traditionally talked about flash accommodation at luxury resorts, there is a whole market that many now prefer: short-term living quarters where everyday people can be a host to travellers, bridging the gap between Couchsurfing and a hotel.
   Started in 2007 by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, offering their own loft up for those attending the Industrial Design Conference that year. They turned their living room into a guest room, with three air mattresses, and gave a homemade breakfast. The site, Airbedandbreakfast.com, launched the following year after a third founder, Nathan Blecharczyk, joined Chesky and Gebbia. The name was later shortened to Airbnb.com.
   Now with 800,000 listings in 33,000 cities and 192 countries, Airbnb has reached a level of maturity, and débuted a new identity and tagline earlier this year. ‘Belong Anywhere’ reiterates what Airbnb is all about. As Chesky puts it, their first guests in 2007 ‘learned our favourite places to grab coffee, ate the best tacos in the city, and had friends to hang out with whenever they wanted. They were thousands of miles from where they lived, and yet they felt right at home.’ A house, he says, is just a space, but ‘a home is where you belong.’ The rewards to staying with an Airbnb property are personal, not financial, because people can connect, rather than have the bland experience of some of the mass-market spaces.
   They’ve even gone so far as to allow people to make their own Airbnb logos, provided they roughly follow the official symbol, and like all of the best ones, it’s remarkably easy to draw and identify. A revamped website and a new commercial have come as part of the rebrand, the latter showcasing the variety of places that a typical Airbnb customer might find on the website. Littered cleverly through the animated ad are Airbnb logos and, being an internationally targeted spot, all manner of homes and locations are suggested, from châteaux to beach bungalows.
   Chesky notes that since he co-founded the business, he has been invited to the wedding of one of his guests. One host who was trapped in his house during the 2011 London riots was fine—as seven of his former guests went to see if he was OK. And another offered up her home for free during Hurricane Sandy. These are all examples that Chesky says have made Airbnb far more personal than the mass-market experiences.

Article sponsored by Airbnb

Backes & Strauss and the English National Ballet will continue their partnership for a second year, with the Ballet’s artistic director Tamara Rojo becoming the brand’s new ambassador.
   Rojo had endorsed Backes & Strauss’s Victoria collection last year. She will become the face of the Backes & Strauss in its 2015 campaigns.
   English National Ballet celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2015, while Backes & Strauss can lay claim to being the oldest diamond company in the world, founded in 1789.
   The ballet company has worked with Rudolf Nureyev, Sir Frederick Ashton, Natalia Markarova and Carlos Acosta, and Backes & Strauss sees this heritage and quality complementing its own brand.
   Vartkess Knadjian, CEO of Backes & Strauss, said in a release, ‘As a company proud of its British heritage we are thrilled to continue our partnership with English National Ballet and Tamara Rojo, the quintessential British dance company that through its creativity broadens the appeal of ballet throughout the world.’
   Rojo added, ‘I am delighted to be an ambassador for Backes & Strauss, and English National Ballet is enormously grateful for its support. I look forward to continuing our collaboration together to highlight our outstanding work.’
   Now part of the Swiss Franck Muller group, Backes & Strauss retains its London base.