Gucci amps up ecommerce with first shoppable campaign video

Italian fashion house Gucci is targeting Web-savvy shoppers with the brand's first click-to-buy video for its pre-Fall 2011 collection.

The new video catalog allows viewers to scroll over products in the video and click to buy them. The video features nine Gucci handbags and accessories from the collection.

“The Gucci video is very emotive, it's very stylized, sensual and sexy," said Michael Miraflor, associate director of integrated planning at Zenith Media, New York. "The same qualities that you would come to expect from a Gucci print ad.”

“It breathes life into otherwise static product shots, and for many consumers could very well be the difference between considering and [actually] purchasing featured Gucci product,” he said.

“It's a fantastic example of ecommerce evolution that really speaks to the luxury fashion consumer.”

Mr. Miraflor does work with Gucci in other digital endeavors, but he was not involved in production or development of this video and is commenting solely as an industry expert.

Gucci did not respond by press deadline.

G-floors

The video features two female Gucci-clad models, who also appear in the pre-Fall regular catalog.

The models are in a modern-looking, glass-and-gray-slate house walking, posing and occasionally being intimate with a male model.

The strong, structured lines in the pre-Fall collection are emphasized through the modern, straight-edge modern setting.

Gucci was inspired by the energetic, sultry 1970s as the motivation for the video, per the brand.

Throughout the video, the iconic double-G symbol floats across the screen to alert viewers as to which items are clickable.

When a shopper scrolls over the floating G icon, they are able to click on the product.

This pauses the video and a pop-up emerges that displays the full-name and price of the item and a buy-it-now tab.

When a consumer clicks on the tab, the product page opens, offering additional views and more details. 

If a viewer misses her chance to click on a product, she can see all of the items located on the right-hand side of the video.

Shop till you top

This the first video catalog for Gucci.

The brand is pushing the video across social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

Social media seems like a good way for Gucci to tap its already Web-savvy consumers, giving them a new way to enjoy the brand on the Web.

Not to mention, the brand has a large reach via these methods with more than 5 million Facebook fans and 107,102 Twitter followers.

Gucci is also promoting the video on the homepage of its branded Web site.

Other luxury brands are taking advantage of shoppable videos.

For example, Ralph Lauren had a similar click-to-buy online feature. The brand created an online storybook for its children’s collection, through which consumers could click on highlighted products (see story).

Also, Burberry also ran a click-to-buy feature last season, allowing consumers to shop right off its digital runway show (see story).

These types of videos could definitely increase sales for Gucci and other luxury brands, according to Mr. Miraflor.

“The instant-availability of product and immediacy of purchase is what makes Gucci's offering especially compelling,” Mr. Miraflor said.

“It's in line with increasing fashion/luxury consumer's appetite for instant gratification via digital sales channels,” he said.

The increase in video content, and the amount of people buying products via mobile transactions, leads Mr. Miraflor to believe the ecommerce videos and social commerce will soon become the mainstay.

“We are seeing that more applications built specifically for shopping and mobile extensions ranging from QR code integration to location-based targeting of both the check-in and mobile banner variety are becoming more prevalent,” Mr. Miraflor said.

“As these ecommerce platforms mature, brands will take the opportunity to tell their stories and communicate their unique personalities via images, interactive features and video,” he said.

“It's only natural that these experiences be shoppable."

Final Take
Kayla Hutzler, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York