Articles and News
BRAND NEWS: BEN BRIDGE PARTNERS WITH CIRCA; TIFFANY UPS THE ANTE ON FACEBOOK; MORE April 17, 2013 (0 comments)
Ben Bridge Boosts CIRCA Doors Nationwide
Seattle, WA—Ben Bridge Jeweler is the latest retail jeweler to join CIRCA’s Authorized Purchasing Agent Program. The two have announced an exclusive partnership to offer CIRCA's jewelry buying services at 64 Ben Bridge locations nationwide.
Ben Bridge clients can access CIRCA’s expertise through both in-store buying events and a year-round mail-in program (CIRCA manages both insurance and shipping coverage.) CIRCA will host more than 10 in-store buying events at Ben Bridge locations nationwide in 2013.
“This partnership is an important addition to the services we offer our customers,” said Marc Bridge, Ben Bridge vice president of marketing. “For over 100 years, we have built lasting relationships with our customers in a desire to be their ‘Personal Jeweler.’ Working with CIRCA, we can expand the services we offer our customers who are looking to transform no-longer-worn jewelry into a new or upgraded piece. We look forward to this exciting new chapter of our business.”
CIRCA acting CEO Mary L. Forté added that the initiative is a critical leap forward for the brand’s purchasing agent program, doubling the amount of retail locations where CIRCA’s buying services are available.
Antonini To Debut New Advertising, Exhibit, and Collections in Basel
Milan, Italy—Antonini will unveil its latest advertising campaign and its new booth at the upcoming Baselworld fair. The new booth, still in the fair’s Hall 2.2 (booth D01), was remodeled by Italian architect Mirko Pancaldi, and features raw iron and brass inspired by ancient architectural drawings. The space is reminiscent of the brand’s retail boutique in Moscow. The same concept inspires the brand’s new advertising campaign, created by Pancaldi with art director Canio Salandra, and photographed by White Box in Milan. The jewels are photographed in a black and white theater, assembled from antique architectural drawings.
Antonini will present its new 2013 collection, Aurea, in yellow gold and diamonds, and the newest pieces in its one-of-a-kind Extraoirdinaire collection in Basel.
Tiffany Aims To Tap Aspirational Fan Base With Social Media
New York, NY—Tiffany & Co. is aiming to win fans with daily exclusive social media content focusing on the products in its new “Blue Book” catalog.
According to this article in Luxury Daily, the jeweler is posting a different product image from the catalog, with accompanying story and history not seen in the catalog. All the products shown are high-end, not from the jeweler’s silver line.
For example, the Deco Fan Bracelet, which is rendered black lacquer with 12.97 cts. of diamonds set in platinum (below left), is shown in a video vignette which incorporates the fan motif in a kaleidoscope dance with 1920s-era jazz music. It’s shown next to the artist’s sketch of the fan motif (right), and above an image of the door handles on the jeweler’s Fifth Avenue flagship store, which are reminiscent of the Deco Fan shape.
The Art Deco door handles on Tiffany's Fifth Avenue flagship are reminiscent of its Deco Fan bracelet. Door image: Kaycieq.blogspot.com; bracelet and rendering images, Tiffany Facebook page.
The products and stories are being released every weekday on Facebook in their own app, in advance of the catalog’s mailing. According to the Tiffany Facebook page, the campaign ran April 4 through 17. The goal of the campaign, says Luxury Daily, is to reach out to younger consumers and convert them into brand loyalists.
The brand’s sales have been sluggish in recent months. While holiday sales for 2012 grew 4%, it’s below what the retailer has enjoyed in prior years and what it needs to continue healthy growth. Chairman Michael J. Kowalski says he expects single-digit growth in 2013.
Cartier Win Proves Luxury Brands Can Fight Chinese Counterfeits
New York, NY—Luxury brands used to feeling powerless at fighting Chinese counterfeits may find new hope in a recent win by Cartier in a trademark infringement suit there.
According to this article in Luxury Daily, the brand filed suit against two Beijing-based jewelry companies and a Chinese online supermarket that sells products from those companies. In a Shanghai court last week, Cartier won its case suing the companies for using its name without consent.
The Chinese government is just beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of intellectual property infringement, says the article. “Any successes in China at this point are reflective of positive movement,” intellectual property attorney Steven Gursky told Luxury Daily.
Cartier was awarded $29,000 in damages, according to Women’s Wear Daily, but the real victory lies in getting the Chinese government to crack down harder on intellectual property violations. The country actually has fairly comprehensive IP laws on the books, says the paper, but having them and enforcing them are two different things. Corrupt officials often turn a blind eye to violators.
The other big victory for Cartier lies in the message it sends to other would-be counterfeiters. Luxury Daily says most luxury companies pursue trademark infringement cases more to send a message than for any monetary gains that might result from a lawsuit.