by John Keil
Watch advertisements have always fascinated me.
If an ad is clever, funny, or invokes a special feeling within me, I am much more likely to make a purchase.
And there is huge money in watch advertising.
According to an article published by Joe Thompson in WatchTime in 2013, 69 watch brands spent more than $1 million on watch advertisements in the United States alone, combining to make for a staggering sum of $467,410,000.
And I’m sure that sum is larger now.
With all of the money being spent on advertising, watch brands ought to be sure that their campaign is one that invokes that “I want it” feeling.
To create the “I want it” feeling, successful campaigns use celebrities or athletes, create a comedic situation, or tug on heartstrings.
Here are a few great advertisements of recent years that I have loved.
A bus strap turns into an interactive IWC Big Pilot
IWC turned ordinary bus straps into likenesses of the Big Pilot. This is an unbelievably clever way to goad potential consumers into trying on a watch.
“You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.”
You would be hard pressed to find anyone to argue that Patek Philippe’s “You never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation” campaign isn’t the most successful in the watch industry.
Of course, who doesn’t want a Patek Philippe?
Although when you’re looking at your little mini me running the bases, it’s much easier to say to yourself (or your wife), “Hey, I’m not just spending $37,000 on me. It’s an heirloom!”
Omega is an advertising juggernaut! Check out this witty vintage ad.
Omega’s clever vintage “How could a man in a $27,000 suit wear a $235 watch?” advert
Albeit controversial, Hublot took some flak with the following ad (which I happen to have loved) when it first came out.
I wouldn’t ordinarily make light of someone getting beat up for his watch, however Bernie Ecclestone and Jean-Claude Biver are close friends, and the ad was Ecclestone’s idea as is described in this article in The Daily Mail.
Hublot’s controversial ad in collaboration with Formula 1 head Bernie Ecclestone after being mugged
On a side note, Hublot again took flak for its marketing efforts using Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated boxing world champion who has experienced high-profile legal and ethical challenges. You can learn more about it in the Fortune post Burger King, FanDuel, Hublot each paid $1 million to sponsor Mayweather.
If you want your heartstrings tugged, another brand that does that successfully is Baume & Mercier with its “Life is About Moments” campaign.
Baume & Mercier’s “Life is About Moments” wedding advertisement
Conveying a brand’s deep history is also very effective.
Breguet has some of the deepest roots in horology, and it is wise to capitalize on them. With some of the world’s most historical figures as clients including Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Antoinette (see Let Them Eat Cake: The Intriguing Story Of Marie Antoinette And Her Legendary Breguet Pocket Watch No. 160), and Sir Winston Churchill – to name a few – why not brag a little?
Breguet advertisement featuring Napoleon Bonaparte
And who could forget this ad by IWC?
Offensive or not, it memorably created a buzz!
Women are complicated? IWC stepping on toes in the name of marketing
If you have a favorite watch advert, let us know in the comments below.
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[…] 3. Watch Advertisements (Should) Invoke A Special Feeling, Here Are a Few That Work For Me Um super pertinente artigo centrado nas campanhas publicitárias das marcas de relojoaria. Aliás, este até é um desafio. O autor admite que sempre se deixou fascinar por anúncios de relógios e, na verdade, é possível que todos nós acabemos por nos deixarmos levar um pouco por isso. Aliás, recentemente, quando estivemos com Fernando Guerra, o próprio fotógrafo admitiu que as campanhas da Rolex, publicadas na National Geographic há uns anos atrás lhe despertavam muito a atenção pelo espírito de aventura que transmitiam; e nós, por aqui, temos sempre tendência para evocar a espetacular campanha “Success it’s a mind game” da TAG Heuer, de 1995, na qual os protagonistas eram apresentados em situações de limite extremo (lembram-se de um nadador a competir com tubarões ou de um atleta a saltar uma barreira de lâmina?). Respondemos, assim, ao autor que nos desafia a destacar campanhas marcantes. E nós, convidamos o nosso leitor a dar uma espreitadela ao artigo e a pensar um pouco no assunto: de certeza que se vai lembrar de alguma campanha que ali não está referenciada. Para ler no Quill & Pad. […]
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Greet article.
One ad comes to mind from my youth:
A Baume and Mercier ad that featured a well dressed man standing next to his silver vintage car (most likely Aston Martin). Not sure if it drew me more to the car or the watch…
Definitely a couple classic, or soon to be classic, ads. The Omega ad about the $235 Speedmaster brings back memories. In 1978, I purchased a Moonwatch at the Wright Patterson AFB BX for $170. The Hublot ad, although a little gruesome, gets it’s message across on an “in your face” way. The Breguet ad really makes you think and brings home the idea of tradition. Unfortunately, and I say that because I love IWC, is a bit of stereotyping. Most of the time I find that people who habitually run behind and are constantly late are either poor planners or just plain inconsiderate. It has nothing to do with what sex they are.