Nordstrom encourages consumers to live in the moment for fall ads

Nordstrom’s “You Are Here” campaign

Department store chain Nordstrom is making a statement about the never-ending fashion cycle in its fall campaign.

Shot by artist and director Alex Prager, “You Are Here” is set within various modes of transportation to convey the feeling of the constant pace of the industry as it moves from season to season. In the midst of the hustle, Nordstrom urges consumers to take a moment to slow down, explore and enjoy the view.

“Our lives are moving so fast–at lightning speed–and in particular, our industry, dictated by the internet, social media and this constant urge for newness all the time, has embraced sayings like ‘see now, buy now, wear now,'” said Olivia Kim, vice president of creative projects at Nordstrom, Seattle, who worked with Ms. Prager on the campaign theme.

“We forget how to enjoy the moment we’re in, appreciate where we’re standing, or even remember to look up and see the sky,” she said.

Planes, trains and automobiles
Nordstrom’s campaign premiered on LVMH-owned content Web site Nowness on Aug. 12. Debuting the effort on this platform enabled Nordstrom to reach an audience interested in conceptual film.

After a few days on Nowness, Nordstrom shared its campaign with its followers on YouTube and its Web site.

Ms. Prager’s film begins with a shot looking up at a bird flying across a bright blue sky. The camera pans down to a congested street filled with vehicles, capturing pedestrians as they walk a bike, stroll or pause for a moment to look at their watch.

Image from Nordstrom’s You Are Here campaign

An older car begins to drive off, creating a cloud of exhaust behind him. This gray puff serves as a transition to a train station.

On a platform next to a stationary train, would-be passengers and conductors bustle in preparation for a trip. A juxtaposition to the movement, a woman stands in place next to a door blowing bubbles and surveying the scene.

The film next reveals the inside of a bus. Passengers who look ready to leave jump at the opportunity to disembark once the vehicle parks, filing down the aisle in a hurry.

These travelers arrive just in time to see a rocket launch from the ground in front of them. They watch as it soars into the air, clapping, yelling or smiling at the sight.

You Are Here | Nordstrom fall 2016

Nordstrom’s description of the film includes the passage, “Is it possible to freeze a moment, to pause time? See what you see, notice what you notice, talk to a stranger, feel the wind blow. It’s simple, but that’s what makes it worthwhile.”

Ms. Prager worked with Ms. Kim on the campaign concept.

 

Taking a retro futuristic approach, print images show models aboard an airplane complete with fuzzy seats or stepping out from what appears to be a recently landed UFO.

Image from Nordstrom’s You Are Here campaign

“In partnership with world-recognized artist Alex Prager, we wanted to capture and recognize that moment,” Ms. Kim said. “Using modes of transportation as a metaphor of speed, and as the literal representation of how we get from here to there, the fall 2016 brand campaign also emphasizes that within a crowd, there are countless individual stories and unique experiences, that are all worth recognizing.

“The images, depict individuals in some of the season’s most exciting fashion,” she said. “We are curious about what they are thinking, where they are en route to and what their stories are. There is a sense beautiful stillness in a world that is just moving so quickly.

“The series of photographs also intentionally are set in traditional to futuristic modes of transportation – from buses and trains of the past to rocket ships and UFOs in the future. How exciting to think about how we get ‘there’ tomorrow.”

Channeling content
U.S. department store chain Nordstrom is helping its consumer “See Anew” in its spring 2016 brand campaign.

The See Anew marketing campaign, which also ran on Nowness, includes a kaleidoscopic short film as a centerpiece as well as print, online, out of home, social and television components. The emphasis on digital and social platforms, along with the joyful spring theme will endear Nordstrom to a younger consumer (see story).

“The ‘You Are Here’ video positions Nordstrom as a fashion-forward, modern brand,” said Jim Gentleman, senior vice president of account management and strategy, SK+G, Las Vegas.

“In today’s social-media dominated society, this kind of story-based marketing promotes Nordstrom’s fall 2016 fashions in a format that is easily sharable by its customers and fans,” he said. “It’s a refreshing take on the typically staid catalog format.”

Nowness, which operates an an independent editorial site under the LVMH umbrella, has been the choice for other brands looking to reach an artistic audience hungry for video content.

Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci reinvented wheels with the launch of a new limited-edition skateboard line featuring the vibrant prints that are the brand’s hallmark.

To debut the collection, the label teamed with Nowness on the film “Rolling with Emilio Pucci,” which wove the story of a skate park rivalry between a young woman and two tween boys. Pucci is continuously breathing new life into its prints with collaborations and new product areas, ensuring that the concept does not get staid (see story).

“Nowness is a popular and influential Web site for luxury lifestyle consumers and brands,” Mr. Gentleman said. “By debuting its ‘You Are Here’ Fall 2016 video here, Nordstrom is signaling its commitment to fashion, design, art and beauty and leadership as a luxury retailer.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the ‘You Are Here’ video based on my perception of Nordstrom as a traditional, somewhat conservative retailer,” he said. “I’d expect many consumers to have a similarly positive and unexpected reaction to this more progressive, unconventional side of Nordstrom.”

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