Court Beyond Limits – Hennessy x NBA
Larger Than Life
Blending old-school advertising with innovative technology and next level activations.
July 2022
In a time of viral TikTok dances, rapidly evolving consumer habits and more content than we can possibly consume, the competitive space for brands to stand out is bigger than ever. While a lot of brands tap into the current zeitgeist, the luxury icons of the world are also looking elsewhere. These brands are opting for big, bold creativity, and blending old-school advertising with innovative technology and next-level activations.
Luxury fashion houses are using new mediums to reach their target Gen Z and Millennial audiences. In 2021, there was Gucci Garden, which showed up on Roblox, allowing avatars to make their way through the virtual garden and immerse themselves in the world of Gucci. And in the same year, Balenciaga brought out a collection of clothes in Fortnite for games characters to wear. Brands are thinking outside the box – and this is only the beginning.
It’s an approach that appears to be working. WGSN reported that in 2021, online luxury sales grew by 27% to roughly $70bn – 2.5 times higher growth than pre-pandemic in 2019.
Court Beyond Limits – Hennessy x NBA
Bringing back OOH
It’s not just about futuristic technology and the virtual world. Brands are using more traditional advertising methods too – only their execution is far from run-of-the-mill. According to WGSN, there was a boom in OOH (Out Of Home) ads once Covid-19 restrictions eased across major markets, with 88% of the top 100 OOH advertisers increasing budgets in Q3 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.
The Hennessy x NBA ‘Court Beyond Limits’ activation that we created is just one example of a bold interpretation of OOH. After the temporary transformation of Sydney’s iconic Bondi Icebergs into a basketball court in 2021 that went viral, we took 2022’s activation even bigger – a step ahead that was just as iconic, made just as much noise, and made consumers sit up and take note of this iconic partnership. The answer: a floating basketball court, complemented by live music from A$AP Ferg and B Wise, and a party on a superyacht that will go down in history.
Miss Dior Daydream – Miss Dior
The immersive experience
Some brands are going even further, creating truly immersive experiences with multiple elements and touchpoints to tell their stories. Take the flower-filled, dream-like activation that we created for Miss Dior Daydream. Complete with a perfume bottle of epic proportions that landed in one of Sydney’s most prominent spots – Royal Botanic Gardens, right in front of the Opera House – it allowed attendees to (physically) step inside the world of Miss Dior and experience it in a way they’ve never done before.
The future is maximalism
Move over minimalism – luxury is taking it up a fair few notches. When Moët & Chandon tasked us with celebrating the end of 2021 by bringing people together and looking to the future, we didn’t do it by halves.
We took over Sydney’s Bennelong Lawn with a huge, immersive art installation inspired by the effervescence of Champagne. It was full of creativity and a sense of luxury, and naturally brought people together in a way that was fun, exciting, and most importantly, made a lasting positive impact.
Effervescence – Moët & Chandon
What’s next?
After a challenging couple of years globally, it’s no wonder brands are using advertising as a way of celebrating, of bringing joy back and filling our lives – and feeds – with a lot more optimism.
So, what does this mean for brands looking to dip not just their toe, but their whole foot into the proverbial water? It means thinking beyond the norm. Being creative with their values and their message, their history, and their future. It means going larger than life.
Court Beyond Limits – Hennessy x NBA
Effervescence – Moët & Chandon
It’s not just about futuristic technology and the virtual world. Brands are using more traditional advertising methods too – only their execution is far from run-of-the-mill.
Miss Dior Daydream – Miss Dior
Court Beyond Limits – Hennessy x NBA
