How Dior communicates with their consumers
"Women, with their intuitive instinct, understood that I dreamed not only of making them more beautiful, but happier too." - Christian Dior (Dior,2017)
Christian Dior sparked a revolution in women's wear on the 12th of February 1947 with the launch of the New Look (metmuseum, 2004). This new approach to post war deprivation brought on a fire in fashion. Gone were the days of women fitting into mundane roles, Dior truly paved the way for women.
Gallery 1: "The New Look 1947"
The essence of the brand of Dior is focussed on supreme French craftsmanship with a strong feminine air (Dior, 2017). When Christian Dior started Dior he wanted women to rediscover the joy, elegance and beauty that clothing can bring to life. Gone were the days of rationing in war. Now was the time of opulence and luxury. Couture and excellent, one of a kind designs, were brought to life, and we still see them today. Dior is a brand that entice women through visual and verbal language. In this blogpost I will look at how Dior has established its brand identity through visual and verbal language, with reference to stores, ad campaigns and consumer experience.
Video 1: "The Exceptional Savoir Faire Behind Dior's 'Dioressence'" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mLbv9HJT8
With the brand's roots firmly planted in its history, the brand identity, visual and verbal language of Dior has never really changed. Dior aims to reach women that are professional, feminine and strong, who knows what they want from life and are not afraid to pursue their dreams (everything that being a woman in 1947 were not suppose to be). The brand was created to liberate women from their somber lives, during and post war.
Dior's brand personality can be seen through its visual and verbal language. Dior communicates with their clients in a professional, sophisticated, elegant, but also sensual and whimsical manner. We can see this way of verbal communication in many Dior advertising campaigns with celebrities like Natalie Portman and Marion Cottilard portraying the role of the femme fatale.
Video 2: "Rouge Dior, the new lipstick – The new campaign" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1h_P_x1S7Q)
Sensual, seductive women are not the only target market of Dior, with 2017 ad campaigns appealing to a younger audience. Edgy, fun and androgynous women also now have a place at Dior.
Video 3: "Spring-Summer 2017 collection - J'adior"
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpRaWzk_fAo)
Dior might be a classical French brand, but its ability to adapt to the times is what has set it apart from other high end luxury brands. 2017 is the age of the left and feminists, and Dior has followed pursuit, showing that it is willing to appeal to new, different consumers.
The brand has achieved great success marketing what they want their consumers to buy into. Dior utilises strong visual as well as verbal imagery not only in their advertising campaigns, but also in their store front design. Having such a large spectrum of products, Dior invests a lot of money on advertising and store front designs (fashionuniteduk, 2017). The brand's color ways are iconically French with black, white and red highlighting most of the beauty products advertising campaigns.
Dior store front designs are aimed at putting the product in the best possible light to attract consumers. As a luxury brand, craftsmanship and artisanal features should be displayed accordingly.
Gallery 2: "Dior window displays"
Having visited Dior stores in Dubai, I can vouch that the visual and verbal language that Dior aims to create is something that can't be ignored. Form the moment you walk through the doors (that are opened by a doorman) to the first interaction with the staff, the entire experience screams luxury and opulence, both for young and old. Nothing is ever out of place and the products are displayed in a way that make them seem almost fairytale like. Dior aims to attract the consumer in every possible way, ensuring a consistent experience is delivered to each and every consumer.
Dior also manages to maintain its visual and verbal ethos on social media platforms as well. Communicating with consumers in the same voice as in advertising campaigns and in store experiences, while also using the same themes and color ways when portraying a message visually.
The consistent communication between consumer and product is something that Dior has mastered. Dior set the bar for designers since 1947 and Dior is still setting the bar today. Keeping brand strategies (being old or new) firmly planted in history, but only updating necessary imagery according to socio and political influences. It is evident that Dior regards its quality of brand identity and visual and verbal language as high as its exceptionally crafted product range.
Image: Dior store in Dubai Mall
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Image Library:
Image 1, The New Look, 1945, Available at: http://www.fashiontrendsdaily.com/runway-fashion/monday-muse-diors-new-look-inspires-rochas-and-thom-browne
Image 2, The New Look, 1945, Available at: https://za.pinterest.com/jleroulley/new-look/
Image 3, The New Look, 1945, Available at: https://ceylasakaoglu.com/2017/01/10/new-look-christian-dior/
Image 4, Christian Dior at work, 1950, Available at: http://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/09/05/new-look-1947-by-francois-demachy-for-dior-2010/
Image 5, Dior window display 2011, Available at: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/386465211748063800/
Image 5,Dior window display on Behance 2013, Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/38823647/Dior-Window-Display
Image 6, Harrods window display 2013, Available at: http://thebwd.com/morphed-dior-window-displays-at-saks-fifth-avenue/
Image 7: Dior store in Dubai Mall 2016, Available at: http://www.cpp-luxury.com/chalhoub-group-the-middle-east-luxury-market-remains-complicated-in-2016/dior-store-dubai-mall/
