The company is seeking to position the accessory as a timeless luxury item. Image credit: Burberry British fashion house Burberry is celebrating one of its iconic designs through its latest promotional launch.
As November begins and cold weather becomes more commonplace, the brand is spotlighting its signature check scarf. The initiative takes the form of a series of intimate portraits, showcasing a famous, multidisciplinary cast, with each talent sporting a different take on the iconic silhouette.
House favorites
The campaign is wide-ranging, including in-store activations, digital offerings, a curated product selection, a short film and a multitude of stills featuring famous faces.
British actress Olivia Colman, Chinese model Liu Wen, Danish model Mona Tougaard and American actor Tyson Beckford and American models Amelia Gray and Lucky Blue Smith wear the check scarf in the portrait series, with each featuring a different colorway and clothing pairing.
Spotlighted shades include post red, pansy purple, knight blue and squash orange, among others. Image credit: Burberry
Alongside the celebrity placements, the house has also released a video highlighting the history of the design, beginning with its inception in 1967 and displaying its continued lineage of distinctly British craft through today. Since the 1980s, Burberry check scarves have been produced by the family-owned, Scotland-based Johnstons of Elgin mill – the house has partnered with the plant’s artisans for more than a century.
These scarves, each hand-made by the Scottish family and their staff, are now a part of a wide-ranging selection of more than 30 colors, textures and patterns available as a part of the endeavor. Select stores, including those in Seoul, Ginza, London, New York, Shanghai, São Paulo and Bangkok, will offer the full suite alongside bespoke furniture and an exhibition of the accessory’s heritage.
The pop-ups will also allow guests to stitch up to five custom initials or symbols into their check scarves in a variety of colors. Those shopping online will now be able to try on the cold-weather staple from the comfort of home, as the label has expanded its Virtual Try On program to the house-favorite item.
Signature styles
Imagery featuring Ms. Colman, Mr. Beckford and Ms. Gray, as well as the others, complements the maison’s other ongoing marketing endeavors.
It's Always Burberry Weather: Postcards from London, which launched in early October, also features the same list of cross-cultural talents. The outerwear-centric campaign, shot by New York-based photographer Drew Vickers, similarly featured the check motif, applying it to a variety of ready-to-wear pieces (see story).
The themed promotional push is comprised of four short films. Image credit: Burberry
At the same time, the brand is also presenting its winter 2025 collection with an initiative set in the British countryside (see story). Check was also a key part of the group’s crossover holiday launch with Department store chain Bloomingdale’s (see story).
These simultaneous marketing endeavors, which all uplift English tradition and heritage house codes, as outlined in the Burberry Forward, revamp strategy, have helped the company reverse its fortunes. Its most recent quarterly earnings report saw stable sales (see story), an increased level of performance following a series of negative fiscal performances after its post-pandemic booms.