Chaumet explores jewelry’s history with look towards the future

April 5, 2017

Chaumet's new video campaign for Imperial Splendours

French jeweler Chaumet is promoting a new exhibit focusing on the history of jewelry with an evocative and futuristic-tinged teaser.

The exhibit, "Imperial Splendours," focuses on the art of jewelry from the 18th century to today and will debut in China. The video campaign uses a futuristic aesthetic juxtaposed with traditional jewelry images to make a bold statement and entice viewers to come to the event.

"First, Chaumet’s decision to exhibit their products among the artifacts of imperial China in the Palace Museum is a brilliant one," said Nicole Larrauri, president of EGC Group, New York. "What better way to communicate that their jewelry is a valuable treasure?

"Their digital video communicates this same message, but also nicely blends in future forward elegance and Parisian sensibility."

Ms. Larrauri is unaffiliated with Chaumet but agreed to comment on the story in an expert capacity. Chaumet was reached for comment.

Time warp
With a new exhibition in China on the horizon, Chaumet was looking for an eye-catching way to promote the event. The brand found it in a short film that captures the juxtaposition of the classic and the modern aspects of jewelry.

The event in question is Imperial Splendours. This exhibit, housed in the Meridian Gate Gallery of the Palace Museum in China, celebrates the long lineage of jewelry from the 18th century to today.

Imperial Splendours will focus on a variety of styles from around the world. Chaumet is hosting the exhibition in Beijing’s Forbidden City, an ancient location with a wealth of history and tradition attached.

The tiaras are displayed on futuristic holograms in the video spot

In contrast to the venerable surroundings, the event will also focus on modern jewelry as well as the past. This juxtaposition is represented in the brand’s video campaign.

The video shows a young woman strolling through Paris and into a warehouse that is furnished with holographic images and screens suggesting a futurist vibe.

Displayed on these intangible screens are various models of tiara and other forms of jewelry from Chaumet’s past and present. The woman strolls by each one, letting her hand drift along the images.

Eventually, she comes to a large door, which she opens, revealing China’s Forbidden City. The fact that Paris and Beijing are connected in this video through a building full of jewelry designs suggests the two cultures’ shared history of jewelry and design.

Imperial splendours

The video is aesthetically similar to the house’s previous campaigns, such as the one it launched recently called Gaites Parisienne.

Gaites Parisienne follows two young lovers as they come together and drift apart in a variety of settings and environments inspired by different periods and movements in fashion history. Chaumet is hoping that the association with romance and testament to the brand’s long history will bring in new customers (see story).

The similarities lie in the depiction of a women walking through a variety of environments emblematic of certain eras or products from Chaumet.

Chaumet has also turned to video to promote a new generation of designers thanks to a campaign that put the spotlight on students studying jewelry design at Central Saint Martins.

Chaumet's Imperial Splendours

The video series follows students from Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London as they compete to design a “21st century tiara” for the brand. The designs are narrowed down to the top eight, from which the winner is chosen (see story).

With its latest video, Chaumet is once again drawing from the same well in order to get more customers interested in its upcoming exhibit in China.

"Online video is always a top driver of engagement, no matter the channel," Ms. Larrauri said. "This is especially true for luxury brands, whose products rely on a more emotional and cinematic communication, which is often hard to capture within the construct of a 30-second TV spot.

"In addition, the ability to distribute the video in a targeted and localized way is more economically efficient online and is an especially sound strategy for promoting a live event."

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