Nappa mordore sandals with baroque DG heel. Image credit: Dolce & Gabbana
Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana is paying tribute to love and tradition through a cheery campaign for its holiday gift collection.
As the world continues to be affected by this catastrophic year, Dolce & Gabbana brings a sense of joy and wonder to the holiday season. In claymation-style, “With Love from Domenico and Stefano” features figurines of the brand’s head designers revealing the artistry behind their products.
“As consumers continue to buy more from fast fashion, luxury will continue to lean heavily into why their brands are higher end – through craftsmanship and history,” said Lauren Klostermann, senior vice president of client services at Blue Moon Digital, Denver. “Dolce & Gabbana has a longstanding tradition of rich materials, meticulous attention to detail, and nods to Italian heritage, all which are reinforced through a visual medium.
“The consumer buys into the product by buying into the story behind the product,” Ms. Klostermann said.
Seasons greetings
The minute-long film opens with figurines of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana presenting the “show” in front of a classic red velvet curtain. Then, the miniature doll-like Domenico spins thread into a sewing machine while Stefano watches the needle work the thread into a leather belt.
The two continue exploring the interior of a studio, where live action artisans and designers are working. They begin wrapping and unwrapping various products such as fragrances, watches and shoes, all items featured in the Dolce & Gabbana holiday gift collection.
“The claymation-style format for the campaign reinforces a tie to the attention to detail that all of its products have — you can tell it took the same care and artistry that all of their fashion does as well,” Ms. Klostermann said. “The vignette also harkens back to the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer television program from 1964, tapping into holiday nostalgia, helping it break through the advertising clutter.”
With Love from Domenico and Stefano: the #DGHolidays 2020 Campaign
Tchaikovsky’s “Danse Des Mirlitons” from the Nutcracker Suite serves as the soundtrack, setting the holiday tone for the film.
Images of wrapping paper, tins of cookies, a fireplace and brightly colored bows creates an overwhelming sense of cheer and comfort, which is timely for the holiday season but also gives consumers a break from the stressors of this year.
Christmas sunglasses. Image credit: Dolce & Gabbana
The holiday gift collection includes 500 products for women, men and children from apparel and shoes to jewelry and bags, as well as face masks in a nod to COVID-19 safety precautions.
Stories of artisans
Dolce & Gabbana’s holiday campaign is only a continuation of a multitude of films focusing on the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and tradition.
In 2019, the Italian fashion house debuted a film chronicling the making of its cross-shaped earrings. Nearly two minutes long, “Fatto A Mano” shows the process of making the jewelry item from start to finish (see story).
Last month, the brand continued the narrative through another film series offering a glimpse of Italian artisans at work as part of a bid to raise funds to combat the pandemic. This year’s "Fatto A Mano" series shared everything from the making of homemade tagliatelle and tiles to painting Sicilian carrettos and constructing marionettes.
The goal was to showcase the label's appreciation of Italian craftsmanship and also to direct money to Milan’s Humanitas University’s scientific work on COVID-19 (see story).
“In 2020, brands are working in an extra challenging space to share a message of hope, where some brands won’t even survive the year,” Ms. Klostermann said. “Dolce & Gabbana successfully showcases not only their key products that are ‘COVID-friendly’ such as sunglasses, sneakers, watches, but also tap into the touch of fantasy and escape that consumers are in desperate need of after a challenging year.”