Burberry wants to know: Are you happy?

December 14, 2021

Burberry sparks a conversation of happiness in new campaign. Image credit: Burberry

British fashion house Burberry is asking strangers to reflect on their own lives and share their perceptions of what it means to be happy.

The campaign is in collaboration with TikTok account and documentary @AreYouHappy, which explores the varying definitions of happiness by inviting total strangers to share what moves them in life, and equally what holds them back. Especially as the world enters year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burberry aims to remind people that happiness is achievable.

What it means to be happy
Through a series of TikToks, which Burberry ultimately compiled into a single video campaign, strangers walking past the Burberry store in London are asked: are you happy?

Some subjects answer confidently, while others take a moment to sincerely reflect on the question.

TikTok account “Are You Happy” asks strangers to reflect on themselves and their lives

Each person, wearing various Burberry pieces, also considers the source of their happiness. For one young woman, happiness is watching her two children smile, for another young woman happiness stems from simply being alive.

Further, some subjects are asked to offer advice to those who may be struggling to discover happiness in their own lives.

“I really feel like we should invest in ourselves,” one young man says. “Spend more time outside and less time on our phones, and smile more.

“The key to happiness is understanding that it is a process,” he says. “It’s not necessarily about how many times you smile or laugh in a day, but it is about how you live, breathe and think.”

One young woman admits that, while she claims to be “super” happy, she has bad days. She suggests that without bad days, she wouldn’t know true happiness.

The @AreYouHappy TikTok account has accumulated 56.5 million likes and 3.4 million followers. Directed by Atdhe Trepca, the series is part of a documentary exploring the complexities of the human experience around the world.

@areyouhapppyI’ve teamed up with @Burberry to ask strangers in London if they are happy. ##burberry ##londontiktok ♬ Hammond Song - The Roches

“We ask strangers if they are happy because we believe everyone has a story worth telling,” it says in the series’ Instagram bio.

Introspective campaigns
In a world where consumers want more emotive storytelling and look for more human connections, luxury brands have unleashed the power of thinking through various campaigns.

This seems to be a theme for Burberry since the brand questioned the idea of love and freedom in an introspective campaign in February.

Shot before its autumn/winter 2021 menswear presentation, filmed by Marc Isaacs, “At a Distance” captured various individuals on the street, in staircases, and in courtyards near the brand’s flagship store in London. Throughout the short, each person is prompted to answer and reflect on questions regarding freedom and love (see story).

In an effort to engage consumers, Italian fashion house Prada opened the conversation in a new campaign, encouraging consumers to answer and reflect on profound questions.

Prada’s spring/summer 2021 “Dialogues” campaign examined the influence of technology and how fashion echoes the realities of contemporary society, with an assist from user-generated content. As technology shapes modern life, it continues to redefine how human beings see themselves and others (see story).

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Burberry wants to know: Are you happy?

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