Mastering the Chessboard of Marketing: Louis Vuitton's Successful Campaign with Soccer Legends and a Victorious New Chapter
Louis Vuitton's recent campaign, launched on November 19, 2022 under the slogan "Victory is a State of Mind," has taken the world by storm. The campaign image, captured by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, features soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi engaged in a chess game atop a Louis Vuitton Damier attaché. This picture was shared by both Messi and Ronaldo on the eve of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, and it quickly went viral across various social media platforms.
Photograph of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for Louis Vuitton, by Annie Leibovitz
While Messi and Ronaldo's immense popularity undoubtedly played a significant role in the campaign's success, the genius of the advertisement lies in its impeccable timing and emotional appeal. Released just as the world's largest sporting event - the FIFA World Cup - was about to commence, the campaign effectively leveraged the global attention on the tournament. Moreover, it coincided with the start of the holiday shopping season, thereby maximizing its potential impact. Undoubtedly, Louis Vuitton emotionally connected with the football fans at the right moment and at the right time.
The luxury brand Luis Vuitton brought together two of the greatest soccer players of all times who, yet, had not captured the one accomplishment that every professional soccer player always dreamt about: a World Cup victory. This was most likely, the last chance for the two iconic players to represent their respective countries in a World Cup tournament; and plausibly, Louis Vuitton appealed to the fans’ emotions that come with the soccer stars’ last chance. The eternal professional rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi, which has been exacerbated by the media and the funs, is due mainly for being contemporary and for their similar professional records and sporting success.
The viral campaign, was inspired in the brand’s 2010 core values campaign featuring the legendary players Pele, Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane playing table football.
“Three great journeys, one historic game." Cafe Maravillas bar in Madrid. Photograph of Pele, Diego Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane in Louis Vuitton’s 2010 Core Values Campaign, by Annie Leibovitz
Louis Vuitton has been in partnership with FIFA since 2010, providing the travel trunk for the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups™ Trophy. In 2018, in celebration of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the brand launched its first World Cup capsule collection. The leather bags came with the hexagon pattern, similar to a classic football. For the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Louis Vuitton unveils its new FIFA World Cup Qatar capsule collection, with five travel pieces in black waved pattern, resembling the movement of the net as a goal is scored.
Following the 2022 World Cup, in which Lionel Messi led Argentina to their first victory since 1986, Louis Vuitton seized the moment and launched a new campaign featuring the champion himself. Aptly titled "Horizons Never End," the campaign showcases Messi in an airport setting with his LV Horizon suitcase, a product first launched by the French luxury house in 2016. The ultra-lightweight suitcase, covered in a specially developed Monogram or Damier canvas, symbolizes the endless journey of a champion.
“Horizons Never End. Evoking the spirit of travel, Louis Vuitton’s new campaign is an homage to the Maison’s luggage-making heritage starring football legend Lionel Messi.”
Chess fans also noted that the chess position in Messi and Ronaldo’s campaign was inspired in legendary 2017 showdown between chess masters Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura that ended in a draw. This clever metaphor not only added intrigue to the campaign, but also mirrored the anticipation surrounding the World Cup outcome. With Messi's triumph in the tournament, the narrative of the 'one winner' was poetically brought to life in the subsequent solo campaign.
Peter Heine Nielsen was the first one to point this out on Twitter that the chess position in the viral ad mimics one from the game between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura that took place at the Norway Chess tournament back in 2017.
According to Launchmetrics, the leading marketing platform and data analytics service for fashion, luxury and cosmetic brands, Louis Vuitton has generated an estimated $13.5 million worth of online buzz in just the first 48 hours. Ronaldo’s post has accumulated a Media Impact Value™ (MIV®) of $2.8 million, Messi’s post a MIV of $2.6 million, and Vuitton’s post is a MIV of $1.1 million in the first 48 hours. The MIV measures the impact of all media placements and mentions across different channels in the Fashion, Luxury, and Beauty industries.
The campaign series also serves as a strategic move for Louis Vuitton to reinforce its position as a luxury travel brand, especially in light of rival Gucci's recent launch of its own luxury luggage line.
In conclusion, Louis Vuitton's latest campaigns brilliantly demonstrate the power of viral marketing. By creating content that captures community attention, the brand has managed to generate buzz, drive conversation, and ultimately, connect with its target audience. The campaign's slogans, "Victory is a State of Mind" and "Horizons Never End," further invite reflection on the power of mindset in achieving success. It's a testament to the game-changing strategy that has positioned Louis Vuitton as a victor on the marketing chessboard.
