In today’s world, getting people to purchase luxury jewelry is tricky. There are always cheap alternatives available, with imitation jewelry accessible. It is impossible to compete with artificial jewelry brands and their pricing. Therefore, the question becomes how to create a marketing strategy that reaches your target audience and gets to them. As a brand, it usually requires taking a couple of steps back and considering your target audience. The top Cartier advertising strategies always reflect what connects the brand with its potential customers. They have some of the best ad campaigns in the luxury jewelry market. The jewelry brand is continually reminding customers of their best-selling style in all their campaigns. This article explores the brand history and some of their latest and best ad campaigns.

Brand Background

The story of Cartier begins in the early 19th century. He started as an apprentice under the master watchmaker Adolphe Picard when he was a young man. He worked in Picard’s small store until 1847 when he bought the store from his aster and transformed the business. It was a modest store, but Cartier wanted to do more like a watchmaker regarding quality jewelry. Soon after he assumed control of the company, Cartier explored the idea of adding some jewelry pieces to his collection that were beyond timepieces. He bought a few from makers in France and beyond, only focusing on the most delicate jewelry he could find.

In 1848, there was an uprising in Paris where the working class decided to challenge the rich plundering France. This made life difficult for jewelry dealers like Cartier. There was little to no market for diamonds when people when consuming rats to survive. However, the business worked through the problem and came out successfully on the other side. Cartier consistently used his profits to purchase even better pieces for his business. For the first 20 years, growth in the industry was modest. It was at this point that Cartier’s son, Alfred, started working in the business. He wanted Alfred to take over the store. Luckily, Alfred was more business-oriented and wanted to grow the business fast. Luckily, some unforeseen circumstances helped foster this new pace of growth.

The Cartier Revolution

When discussing the top Cartier advertising strategy, there’s a need to discuss Cartier’s historical journey. This is incomplete without the story of the Cartier revolution that switched things for the brand. In 1870, there was another uprising in the capital that changed Paris and Cartier’s world. With Paris becoming the nation of revolution, this new uprising was called the Paris Commune. The Paris commune was a socialist revolution where new rulers waged war against the aristocracy. The elite had to look for a way out to save their life. Unable to access their wealth because they restricted bank access, they turned to assets. Most times, this meant their jewelry.

Alfred seized the opportunity and offered aristocrats cents for their most delicate pieces. The elite was desperate to raise the money they needed to flee the violence, so they handed over their best works. Almost overnight, Cartier built one of the finest jewelry collections in France for only a fraction of its worth. The Paris commune ended within months, and France was now a republic. However, by the end of the Commune, the success of the Cartier business was no longer in doubt. People were now free to spend their money again, and Alfred marketed his new collection to those who could afford it.

For two decades, Cartier was the go-to for anyone who was anybody. They received requests for complete pieces and even more requests for bespoke jewelry. With this level of growth, the company had to find larger premises and moved a couple of times. Finally, they settled in a showroom in Rue de La Parix in 1899.

The Latest and Best Cartier Ad Campaigns

Cartier’s history shows a luxurious approach that fascinates its customers. However, what captures the audience is the inspiration ideas implemented in Cartier’s advertising strategies. As a result, their ad campaigns are always unique and represent what defines the brand. In this section, we’ll be exploring some of the latest and best ad campaigns that make the Cartier advertising strategy one of the best in the luxury market. So now that you know what’s ahead let’s dig in.

The Culture of Design

One of the best ad campaigns that feature in the Cartier advertising attempts is the Culture of Design. This ad campaign focuses on the Magnificent Seven, which are iconic creations by the jeweler. This Cartier advertising move showed a change in their tactics. Rather than focusing on their new products, they explored their historic and best pieces. The Culture of Design ad campaign featured seven key objects in their collection. There were four notable watches which were the Santos, Panthere, Ballon Bleu, and the Tank. They also featured the Juste un Clou nail bracelet and the love bracelet. Finally, in the collection was the Trinity triple ring.

The marketing director who crafted the Cartier advertising strategies explained it was the first time they united these items. They were seven critical objects in the Cartier jewelry house, and the campaign was a form of homage to Cartier’s design culture. The ad campaign was also an opportunity to pay homage to these pieces that were trans-generational. The Cartier products are hard to date because even century-old pieces look modern. 

The Magnificent Seven Legacy

Each of the items that make up the magnificent seven had a long legacy. For example, the Cartier love bracelet remains the most-searched-for bracelet on Google. The Santos is also old as 1904 and was designed for the legendary aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. He once shared with his pal Louis Cartier that he had difficulty checking his pocket watch while in flight. So, Cartier designed the Santos to help him solve these issues. Also, the Trinity ring, which comes in three colors of gold, was the fruit of the Cartier family’s imagination. It was once again designed by Louis Cartier way back in 1924.

An Italian creator in New York designed other pieces like the Juste un Clou. Its pure and chic form is why this timepiece was such a hit. Other pieces in the magnificent seven also reflect their era’s artistic mood, like the Juste un Clou. They were selected because they’re culturally referenced and remain admirable through different decades.

The Cartier advertising campaign was able to highlight the exact proportions and unity of line in the pieces. This strategic campaign appeared in traditional media, Cartier store windows, and social media platforms. The campaign was a hit and showed the force of the Magnificent Seven on social media. They received the most incredible engagement with their iconic collections showing the Cartier advertising campaign was a hit.

The Cartier Odyssey

Many would argue that this Cartier advertising campaign is the best luxury advertisement of all time. This campaign earned the Grand Prix Strategies/Amaury Medias du luxe in 2012. It also won the Golden Lion for special effects at Cannes. The Cartier history shows the history of the brand through its icon, the panther. This Cartier advertising campaign carries viewers through the brand universe showcasing their most beautiful pieces. This campaign does not highlight a product but showcases the brand entirely. It reflects on the brand’s influences and travels over the years. It shows the magic and power embodied by the panther and how the story begins in Paris. The campaign shows its journey around the world as the Cartier brothers traveled. This campaign featured music that supported the emotional and epic side of the campaign.

With communication from the Cartier brand so rare, they needed something grand and powerful to make a mark. This Cartier advertising campaign celebrated the brand’s 165th anniversary. The passion was present in the campaign, and it took the brand two years to create. The brand shot it in five different countries with a budget of 4 million euros. It was a hit and was seen by over 160 million people within the first three months of its release. 

The Pasha Watch Campaign

A top Pasha advertising campaign that made its mark is the Pasha Watch campaign. The campaign highlighted one of the best Cartier pieces, which is the Pasha watch. This watch was created in the 1980s and represented an idea of success linked to its design and power. It is an edgy timepiece that remains in tune with the new generation. This campaign was very impactful and one of their best communication campaigns. This Cartier advertising campaign featured five personalities from different backgrounds. This campaign wanted to showcase their different authentic journeys. Therefore, the ambassadors owed their success to their differences, generosity, connection, creativity, and varying talents. 

This advertising campaign featured Rami Malek, who is an Academy Award winner. Maisie Williams, who is an actress, was also part of the five personalities chosen. Other personalities were musicians Willow Smith, Troye Sivan, and Jackson Wang. It was a black and white advertisement, and the five personalities posed around a circle installation that mirrored the Pasha watch. That wasn’t the only image from the ad; there were several videos and Instagram posts available. One of them featured a close-up of the group with their comments playing in the background.

The Ambassadors’ Comments

They shared the ambassadors’ comments in the Cartier advertising campaign in a video where they sat individually on a stool. It showed a sense of community around their individual lives and focused on their unique skills. These qualities were essential for the campaign because they were an integral part of the Pasha timepiece.

Willow Smith shared that you had to bite off more than you could chew if you wanted to evolve as an artist and a person. Smith shared that there was a need to prove that you could achieve things and expand continually. Jackson Wang shared that there was no final destination in life, but every step took you closer to your goals. You only had to trust yourself and be ready to write your history. Finally, Troye Sivan shared that his identity was one with what he made. He said exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to. Although it was terrifying, it was also quite exhilarating, and he always pushed himself to explore edges in his creative pursuit.

Stories by You Campaign

One of the Cartier advertising campaigns that stood out was the #CartierStoriesByYou campaign on Instagram. This campaign stood out because it redefined jewelry marketing in the fashion industry. This approach made advertising more personal, emotional, and human. There were many IGTV videos where different sales advisors shared stories of customers who purchased jewelry from their store. One of the unforgettable stories shared in the #CartierStoriesByYou campaign was that of a marriage proposal. The sales advisor shared a romantic story of how a man proposed to his lover with a ring from the store.

Final Thoughts

Cartier is a top brand in the luxury jewelry market. Cartier owes part of its success to its innovative methods. This innovation shows in the various Cartier advertising campaigns. This article explores some of the best ad campaigns of the brand. We also explore the brand history to help you understand the brand’s uniqueness and creativity. With these spectacular ad campaigns, it’s clear why this century-old jewelry brand continues to remain the best in the luxury jewelry market.