Ted Baker uses Instagram for episodic storytelling in ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ campaign
The fashion brand’s new ‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ campaign makes use of Instagram Stories and shoppable video.
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.”
While I have heard about the brand, I still don’t know exactly what it is. I think it would have been interesting for the campaign to be more obvious about what the brand is, introducing it to potential new customers. However, the point of this campaign is for people who are already invested in the brand. As they stated, focusing on a platform that provides instant feedback has its advantages and is why using Instagram’s newest feature could be promising. I would like to know how many people are watching these stories, seeing as how I usually never click on the stories I see on my own Instagram. Using the Live feature as well is promising but that could be messy. Having so many people tune in and provide fast amounts of feedback could be conflicting. I know that for people I actively follow on Instagram, I will exclusively watch their Lives at any moment I get a notification. That’s something that the brand could look into for added exposure. Seeing as Keeping Up with The Backers already has a following, this campaign is successful in keeping their audience. As far as the VR is concerned, I think it might be a little too much for a fashion line promotion, however, it can provide a unique interaction for customers. I’m not a fan of VR but using it as a promotional tool is something I haven’t seen and want to know how effective it will be.
Ted Baker is making a statement by going beyond what is expected from typical advertisements for clothing brands. Posting a photo of a model in an outfit is one thing but pulling the customer in through a story while promoting their products is intriguing. Being able to browse through watching a video makes online shopping less monotonous and a bit more exciting. It is wise of Ted Baker to prioritize Instagram over other social media accounts such as Snapchat. They will certainly reach a greater amount of people over Instagram than they would Snapchat because I have never personally experienced a way to shop through the picture sending and posting app. Using Instagram will also benefit Ted Baker because of the young culture which the social media platform is mainly populated with; they can then show it to their parents and others to spread their brand. I love how Ted Baker is taking their ad campaign one step further by bringing the virtual reality into their stores to transport you to Tailor’s Lane. Their ideas on emphasizing ways to connect the online and offline world opposed to relying on television advertisements is so outside the box and is certain to inspire other company’s. Reading this article makes me want to drive to Ted Baker’s nearest store for some retail therapy.
Ted Baker, a high end fashion brand, has turned to Instagram for a more creative form of marketing and advertising. Their new ad campaign focuses on “Keeping up with the Bakers”, where they follow a fictional family, or course dressed in Ted Baker designs through their new suburb, where they take on scandals. I am a fan of Ted Baker and have a few items from them. I think this was a very creative form of marketing and I really appreciate the concept. I think it is successful because the people who follow the brand are likely already fans of it and people who probably shop their frequently, or at least are interested in owning the brand. This type of advertising is of course best served to keep current customers, rather than encourage new ones, as it does not really explain much about the brand. However, I think that is what makes it successful because most brands just post pictures of their products, where in this campaign, they are providing use for their products and keeping customers engaged rather than the usual social media advertisements that people probably glance over. The ad grabs a consumers attention by providing a story in vibrant colors and short films. It keeps the consumer interested by giving them something to come back to everyday. By providing a storyline, consumers will be interested to know what happens next and it will keep them engaged. This then hones in on the consumers desires to own these products. I have noticed a lot of time with high fashion brands, they do not advertise their products as being practical, but rather luxury items. Which, unless people are able to afford them, often deters people from owning the brand because it is an expensive investment that they may not see practicality in. The action of these ads comes throughout the whole campaign life, as people are encouraged to watch the video posted on the company’s Instagram account, but also through the repeated product placement of their products, which reminds people about the brand constantly. Overall, the concept is new and unique and something that I believe will be successful for the brand because they are able to keep consumers interested, rather than posting something that they will likely glance over.
This article is about Ted Baker is using Instagram Stories for a new episodic campaign, with the fashion brand calling it “perfect” for soap operas. Their new ad campaign focuses on “Keeping up with the Bakers”, where they follow a fictional family, or course dressed in Ted Baker designs through their new suburb, where they take on scandals. “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.” said by Craig Smith, global brand communication director at Ted Baker.
For this article, I think the most important part to me is that each of the campaign’s advertising channels, which include YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, have original tailored content in order to avoid replication. 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.