Tod’s tributes home country in idyllic campaign slot

April 14, 2023

The visuals offer a sense of heritage, highlighting the Mediterranean and a sense of adventure. Image credit: Tod's

Italian fashion label Tod’s is taking viewers on an Italian journey per the latest drop.

Featuring the new spring/summer 2023 collection, the “On the Italian Roads” advertising campaign is framed around a Mediterranean road trip and the summery pieces donned by the participating travelers. The items are available for purchase in select boutiques.

“Luxury is never about the collection or products,” said Chris Ramey, CEO of Affluent Insights, Palm Beach.

“Instead, it’s always about the brand – the tangibles play a supporting role,” Mr. Ramey said. “Tod’s is a fiercely Italian brand.

“Italy’s DNA comprises the finest in art, food, architecture, music and living.”

Mr. Ramey is not affiliated with Tod's, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Summer drive
The campaign platforms the beauty of the Italian countryside and “the pleasure of traveling together.”

Opening with a pair of travelers journeying in a whimsically orange van, the car traverses a road nestled between Italy’s lush foothills. The couple wears clothing from the collection – the woman in the passenger seat leisurely props her feet on the dashboard, sporting bright yellow ballet flats.

A celebration of Mediterranean summer

In carefree fashion, they stop to pick up a well-dress hitchhiker who holds a sign reading “Somewhere.”

He also wears head-to-toe pieces from the spring/summer 2023 collection.

Eventually making it to the coast, the traveling trio ventures through orchards and old-world city streets. Throughout the journey, various items appear from the collection, whether through wardrobe changes or gifts from strangers – at one point, the female character is presented with a woven purse from the collection filled with wildflowers.

This added detail infuses a stronger seasonality into the storytelling, a method Tod’s has used before, having channeled autumn for the fall/winter 2022-2023 campaign’s short film (see story).

A sense of warmth permeates throughout the fresh images for spring and summer, as vibrant colors and gentle silhouettes made from fine leather, cotton and raffia take the stage.

“Luxury marketing is always about creating a desire for your brand,” Mr. Ramey said.

“This campaign reinforces Tod’s brand, Italy’s DNA and fine living,” he said “It’s textbook luxury marketing.”

The lightweight fabrics are practical for hot weather, while offering an ethereal spirit to match the lens flares and sparkling sea pictured. Image credit: Tod's

Tod’s has presented warm-weather tales as settings for clothing drops before, taking pride in the Italian lifestyle of al fresco dining and ample sunlight (see story).

The new narrative specifically encapsulates “the values of friendship” and a strong sense of independence. Encouragement is directly given to consumers to “choose your destination wearing the new Tod's collection,” per a statement from the brand, further grounding the campaign in a sense of free-spirited living.

The drop is a companion for day trips, new places and, more specifically, Mediterranean journeys, complementing the common tendency to vacation as summer arrives.

On the road again
This is not the first time that Tod’s has framed a campaign around Italian travels.

The spring/summer 2022 collection’s campaign, “Under the Italian Sun,” presented a journey along the country’s coast (see story). The starring models picked apples and rode Vespas through historic neighborhoods, wearing the brand’s newly-released apparel.

Sunshine-inspired colors are shown throughout the campaign, befitting a summer collection. Image credit: Tod's

In June of 2022, Tod’s platformed journeys by foot. Male figures traipsed across Italian hills, wearing summer shoes from the label (see story).

The brand’s frequent Italian-centric visuals offer a level of national pride, as well as a strong sense of place for viewers. This viscerality offers a highly engaging narrative and communicates a sense of self thanks to the specific setting being Tod’s home country.

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Tod’s tributes home country in idyllic campaign slot

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