Tommy Dunn for Bulgari's #RaiseYourHand
Italian jeweler Bulgari is showing its attention and support of Save the Children through a single symbolic gesture.
The latest campaign in the brand’s seven-year collaboration with the youth-focused charity asks consumers to #RaiseYourHand. Leveraging the power of celebrity, the effort includes famous faces including Meg Ryan and Naomi Watts leading by example.
"Consumers respond to celebrities and children," said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami, FL. "The combination allows brands to sell without being overt.
"Celebrities carry sway; a sense of importance that might otherwise be difficult to communicate," he said.
Mr. Ramey is not affiliated with Bulgari, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Bulgari was unable to comment directly before press deadline.
Reaching out
A series of portraits show the faces of the movement in front of a green backdrop dressed in black. This allows the expressions on their faces, their pose and the jewelry they wear to be the focus.
Bulgari's #RaiseYourHand campaign
Featured are the existing B.zero1-inspired ring and a new sterling silver and black ceramic bracelet created specially for this campaign. The bracelet is retailing for $510 at Bulgari boutiques, select department stores and Bulgari’s ecommerce site in the United States and Japan, with $100 of the purchase price donated to Save the Children.
For the campaign, Bulgari worked with Fabrizio Ferri, who artistic directed a video featuring the star talent.
The film, which premiered at a press conference at Rome’s Museum of Contemporary Art – MAXXI, features the ambassadors speaking in echoes over each other. They show their solidarity with phrases such as “raise your voice,” “raise access” and “raise hope,” spoken in English or their native language.
Visuals that run with the collaborative voiceover show the campaign faces posing for their portraits, offering a deeper understanding of their commitment and passion for the project.
Included are models Lottie Moss, Lily Aldridge, Chloe Norgaard, Helena Christensen, Johannes Huebl, Josephine Skriver, Tommy Dunn, Soo Joo Park, Eugenia Silva, Toni Garrn, Jon Kortajarena and Matthew Bell; actors Ms. Ryan, Ms. Watts, Nolan Gerard Funk, Juliette Binoche, Luke Evans, Carina Lau, Shu Qi and Kris Wu; blogger Chiara Ferragni; socialite Olivia Palermo; painter Tali Lennox; gymnast Nastia Liukin; fashion editor Dorian Grinspan; musician Jamie Bochert and HSH Princess Lilly zu Sayn Wittgenstein Berleburg.
Bulgari Save the Children - #RaiseYourHand
“We raise our hand to signal our presence, our interest, our attention, our participation. To signal that we do not hide, that we have no fear, that we believe we have an answer,” said Mr. Ferri in a statement.
“Raising our hand while wearing the ring or the bracelet symbolizes our support for Bulgari’s effort to raise funds for Save the Children,” he said. “I have personally witnessed the positive impact it has had on the lives of thousands of children around the world, thanks to the money raised so far. That’s why I donate my work. This is how I raise my hand.”
Since Bulgari’s partnership with Save the Children began seven years ago, it has raised $50 million for the organization, benefiting 1 million children across 33 countries. The nonprofit focuses on helping youth, particularly in areas of the world where natural disasters, wars, marginalization, disability or poverty prevent children from getting an education that would help them better their lives.
Bulgari Ambassadors Visit Nepal
For 2016, Bulgari and Save the Children are establishing a bespoke initiative in Albania, Uganda, Bolivia and Nepal, in which they will help marginalized youth empower themselves through the teaching of soft skills needed for success.
“Save the Children is one of the most effective, wide-reaching charities in the world, and we are proud to work alongside them in their cause,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari. “Children are a key component in the fight against poverty, because as much as they are vulnerable they also harbor so much potential.
“It is by providing assistance and education to a growing youth that we can make a difference in the whole rest of their lives,” he said. “Bettering the world is a quality inborn in Bulgari’s company culture. We are proud to partner with Save the Children to do our part in making a better tomorrow.”
Cause and effect
Millennials communicate their value systems through the products they support rather than traditional affiliations such as religion, making a company’s social initiatives and positions all the more important.
During a panel discussion at Fashion-Culture-Design June 9, an executive from Marvin Traub argued that a brand’s corporate social responsibility is one of the ways to create value for shareholders. While not all in agreement, the panelists discussed the ways in which a brand’s values impact its bottom line (see story).
Corporate social responsibility may be about relationship building rather than transactions, but that makes it more important for brands, not less, according to Christie’s executive at Luxury Interactive Europe 2015 Oct. 27.
The speaker offered a number of tips for brands looking to improve or get started on CSR, offering a number of Christie’s stories as support. In addition to quality craftsmanship and great service, being a luxury brand means using a highly visible and admired position to fulfill moral and ethical responsibilities (see story).
"Charities add color and purpose to a brand," Mr. Ramey said. "Whereas charities evolve to meet needs, a luxury brand’s DNA is sacred and a constant.
"The mass market responds to fear and greed," he said. "The affluent respond to fear, greed and good.
"You don’t sell to the affluent; they choose to buy from you. In this case, celebrities and Bulgari are demonstrating shared values consistent with most reasonable people. The result is a meaningful introduction to Bulgari."