Anthropologie debuted its holiday marketing campaign on Monday, spotlighting moments of human connection, Marketing Dive can share. The effort is supported by organic social storytelling and will be a testing ground for a partnership struck last month with delivery platform DoorDash.
“On My Way” was developed in-house at the retailer, with ads shot on location at destinations including Shelter Island, New York, Mallorca, Spain, and Vienna. Creative captures people reuniting with friends and family in airport terminals and other transit stations to stoke feelings of both anticipation and the eventual joy of coming together.
Advertising is just one piece of the seasonal push from the Urban Outfitters Inc.-owned lifestyle retailer, which sells a mix of home goods, accessories, clothing and furniture. Anthropologie is trying to cater to shoppers’ needs around different occasions, such as personal styling, hosting parties and gift-giving, while meeting them at various stages of the marketing funnel during a key sales period.
“I think the biggest shift is that we're thinking about the holidays as a world our customer can step into, rather than a single campaign she sees,” Anthropologie Global CMO Barbra Sainsurin told Marketing Dive over email. “The brand campaign creates that aspirational world, and then we're extending it through everything from our home collaborations and creator-led content to in-store styling experiences and new ways to shop, like our DoorDash partnership.”
Building a brand world for the holidays
In addition to the “On My Way” ads, Anthropologie on Friday is rolling out a five-part social series. “Between Us Girls,” which stars creator Coco Schiffer, blends styling inspiration, gifting ideas and entertainment, and will appear on Instagram and TikTok.
“Between Us Girls” follows Nuuly, a clothing-rental service under the UO banner, running a microdrama for its fall campaign. Marketers more broadly are jumping on the short-form content craze to generate organic viewer interest and deepen their work with creators. Sainsurin said the format allows Anthropologie to bring more humor and personality to its holiday strategy compared to conventional messaging.
“Anthropologie will always have that distinct product point of view that makes our brand recognizable, but creators can take that world and make it feel personal in a way that resonates with their communities,” said Sainsurin. “We're excited to keep exploring formats that allow us to do both.”
While the ads and social content are intended to be aspirational, Anthropologie is also working on fresh ways to get its products into the hands of consumers. The DoorDash deal caters to people seeking last-minute gifts and other products tied to the season, the company said.
Brick-and-mortar stores will host events in November and December offering complimentary styling and concierge services. On the product front, the company is introducing home collaborations with Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste, New York City Ballet, Susan Alexandra, Molly Hatch and Ghia.
Anthropologie grew revenue 5% year over year for the quarterly period ended July 31. Customer growth, a metric that encompasses new, active and reactivated customers, was up over 4% in the retailer’s Q2, with momentum attributed to an influencer-led campaign promoting a transition to early fall products.
The holidays can be a make or break moment for retailers, which this year are contending with price-sensitive shoppers battered by a long stretch of inflation. That said, spending on retail goods is forecast to rise 10% YoY, according to Deloitte. The consultancy expects Gen Z and millennials to bolster larger holiday spending trends. On the marketing front, Anthropologie sees its biggest challenge as earning engagement in a meaningful way that cuts through a cluttered environment.
“There’s so much [that is] competing for [the customer’s] attention during the holidays, and I don't think the answer is simply to show up more often. We have to give her a reason to care,” said Sainsurin.
“That combination of emotional connection and meaningful business impact is what we're working toward,” she added.
