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Louis Vuitton flaunts brand history via mobile app

January 12, 2011

Louis Vuitton pushes book of brand history with new iPhone app

Louis Vuitton is showcasing 150 years of history using an iPhone application featuring its legendary luggage in video footage and images.

The “100 Legendary Trunks” application shows Louis Vuitton luggage from every decade of its production. It also has interviews with members of the Vuitton family and a trailer of the new Louis Vuitton book “100 Malles de Legende,” where the content from the application was taken.

“What luxury brands most have going for them are their legacies, it’s really incredible,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, New York. “Their long histories show consumers why they are so special and why they are worth the money.”

Mr. Pedraza is not associated with Louis Vuitton nor the development of the application. He has commented generally on the importance of history in luxury branding.

Into the history
Ryan Peterson, manager of business development and marketing at Ubermind, Seattle, mentioned that a brand’s history is something that proves its worth to consumers.

“Brands that have been around for this long have withstood the test of time,” Mr. Peterson said. “Consumers look at something that has heritage and that is old and give it a mark of quality.”

The first part of the application is the trailer for the book “100 Malles de Legende,” which presents 800 documents detailing Vuitton luggage.

Trailer for the book inside of the application

The second part of the application shows Louis Vuitton trunks from as far back as 1886.

The pieces of luggage have a few different rotating pictures, and when users scroll down, they can read more information about each piece.

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Louis Vuitton luggage in the application

Each trunk can be tapped on, which takes users to a different page where they can see all of the images of that specific model together.

Users browse through the trunks by swiping their fingers across the screen.

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Users can scroll through the luggage from over the years

The third part is an interview with Patrick-Louis Vuitton, a fifth generation member of the Vuitton family, who speaks to the audience from inside the luggage workshops outside of Paris.

“The videos within the app give the user a sense of who Louis Vuitton is as a brand,” Mr. Peterson said. “To see Mr. Vuitton standing in the castle-looking building gives the brand a sense of heritage and age and makes it feel much more substantial and more than something that you run into at the mall.”

Finally, tapping on the information button leads viewers to a section where they can buy the book and learn a little more information about it.

Keeping the message
Mr. Peterson said that one of the most refreshing aspects was that at first, users do not even realize that the application is a promotional piece for the book.

“It wasn’t a straight-over-tackles sales tool,” Mr. Peterson said. “It shows that they cared a lot more about getting the story across, which means a lot to the consumers.”

The application shows that Louis Vuitton’s reputation and long history speaks for itself.

Steve Stratz, partner at Illuminate PR, Seattle, said that a brand that has nicknames from its consumers speaks volumes about the kind of following it has.

“The fact that you can attribute a nickname to something says that things can transcend an inanimate object – it is something in your life that has value and meaning,” Mr. Stratz said. “The brand is trying to get across a strong message.

“It’s not just a Louis Vuitton bag, the difference is what makes it a Louis Vuitton bag,” he said.

“It shows the image, the craftsmanship, the style – that’s why they’ve made the application.”

Rachel Lamb is an associate reporter on Luxury Daily. Her beats are apparel and accessories, arts and entertainment, education, food and beverage, fragrance and personal care, government, healthcare, home furnishings, jewelry, legal/privacy and nonprofits. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.