Ted Baker uses Instagram for episodic storytelling in ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ campaign

Ted Baker is using Instagram Stories for a new episodic campaign, with the fashion brand calling it “perfect” for soap operas.

The ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ campaign focuses on a fictional family (pictured above) who move into Tailor’s Lane; a fictional suburb that is hiding several dark secrets. Much like Ted Baker’s previous spy-based Mission Impeccable ad, the new campaign’s main short film will be fully shoppable.

However, this time around Ted Baker will also use Instagram Stories as a “gossip channel”, with daily posts serving as episodic content to reveal more about different Baker family members. People are able to click through a selection of five different “TV channels” in Stories, with each showing content appropriate for the Baker’s world, as well as revealing a competition winner.

Speaking to Marketing Week, Craig Smith, global brand communication director at Ted Baker, says Instagram Stories is perfect for brands looking to push out episodic content.

He explains: “Instagram Stories rings itself nicely to episodic storytelling and building out a narrative. For us, it is perfect for not just re-articulating the main ad but adding another thread to the story and giving it more depth. I reckon we’ll be the first of many brands to use it in this way.”

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Smith says each of the campaign’s advertising channels, which include YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, have original tailored content in order to avoid replication. And he says the decision to prioritise Instagram over Snapchat was purely a matter of functionality.

“We already have half a million people following us on Instagram so that helps and gives us confidence,” he explains. “You can get instant user feedback too so the comments on Instagram can be really useful for providing a real-time snapshot of what isn’t working.”

Bringing the brand to life through VR

Ted Baker will also bring the Keeping up with the Bakers campaign alive through in-store activation and use of Google’s virtual reality (VR) headsets, Google Cardboard.

A 360° film will be distributed in-store via 20,000 Google Cardboard headsets and the fashion brand has also created an interactive window display at select locations. The latter works by allowing passers-by to place their hands on a glass window, which then triggers a camera that places the user beside the Baker characters and results in a sharable GIF.

Connecting the online and offline worlds is not only a priority but an opportunity as most fashion businesses choose to ignore it.

Craig Smith, Ted Baker

According to Smith, the fact Ted Baker prioritises digital experimentation over above-the-line ad spend has enabled it to put more creativity into its marketing.

“We don’t invest in expensive above-the-line campaigns or celebrity endorsements. Instead, we will take the money that would have gone into TV and invest it in more important things like our shops or online offer,” he explains.

“Connecting the online and offline worlds is not only a priority but an opportunity as most fashion businesses choose to ignore it. They look at the costs and just rely on TV as it’s less of a risk.”

Smith is excited by the potential of augmented reality and VR, and believes walking into a Ted Baker store could soon involve people wearing headsets. He concludes: “I love the idea that our Brighton boutique store is limited in its physical capabilities but unlimited in its virtual capabilities.

“In the future, walking into a Ted Baker store to buy clothes should be like walking into an interactive advertising campaign and something you can just do by just sitting at home. Technology will make that happen and we want to be ready for those changes.”