“In the same way it takes time to craft a lux product or experience, print offers a precious time of lean back… it offers a great and safe environment for a brand.”
Moët Hennessy’s Global Branding and Media Director Véronique Louise.
When you picture a luxury brand, what comes to mind?
Rich, luxurious colours? Aspirational images? Hi-gloss and high style?
Print is fundamental to a luxury brand’s marketing armoury, because it’s the only medium that can truly express its decadent appeal; the density of colour, the sharpness of photography, and the exquisite tactile finish.
It’s the reason luxury brands still invest heavily in magazine advertising – and why in-store and outdoor print are so important to maintaining their image – because no matter how advanced a digital screen is, it’s very difficult to convey the sensations of ‘luxury’ via pixels.
As our client, JCDecaux says about luxury fashion brands: “Displays become like canvases on which pieces of art can be created, effortlessly showing high quality imagery that is essential in fashion campaigns; it not only conveys an idea of exclusivity but also allows to show the superior quality of garments’ details”.
Print also offers greater control. Where an individual screen’s resolution and lighting can impact on how an image is seen, with print, it’s possible for brands to set the context and dictate the quality of the imagery, colours and print materials being used.
Bringing luxury brands to life in print
There are many elements to creating the perfect luxury finish. For larger format print, decent print materials and strong colours are critical, while tricks such as using black backing material can mean less translucency and greater depth. Neat fitting is also a must, to ensure crisp, clean lines.
The good news is that high-end no longer needs to trade off with sustainability – recyclable materials are now available in luxurious grades (we can advise on those that offer a premium feel while being better for the environment.)
Helping deliver first class service to Burberry
Cestrian recently helped JCDecaux to improve the quality of several graphic displays at Heathrow Airport for its client, Burberry.
Having booked several LED lightboxes at the airport, the campaign needed a luxuriant deep black finish, which an existing printer was struggling to achieve. To compound the challenge, the light from the boxes needed to penetrate areas of the graphics, including the Burberry logo, while blocking out the black.
Cestrian added density to the black elements of the design by using white ink technology, allowing light to ‘glow’ through the logo and text, and printed onto high quality fabric, which ensured clean lines and more vibrant colour contrasts. The result was a sharp, densely black finish, which Burberry described as ‘stunning.’ (You can read about our project for Burberry here.)
Give your luxury brand the finish it deserves
If you need to bring greater luxury to your printed graphics, get in touch with our team.
