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New York, NY—Luxury marketers embraced both new and old media for their branding efforts in the first quarter of 2014. Luxury Daily’s list of the top 10 luxury branding efforts for the first quarter featured everything from a new print magazine (Net-A-Porter) to the use of drones during fashion week (Fendi). No jewelry brands or retailers were named to the list, but overall, says the report, luxury brands began the year on good footing.

Here are Luxury Daily’s picks for the top 10 branding efforts of the first quarter of 2014:

Audi’s #PaidMyDues video series for its entry-level A3 model that hit the United States April 3 and retails for less than $30,000. The multichannel campaign revolves around a TV spot featuring comedian Ricky Gervais and other celebrities going about their less-than-glamorous work routines, suggesting to the target audience that they have earned a new car.

Barneys New York’s “Brothers, Sisters, Sons and Daughters” campaign. The specialty retailer is aligning itself with the fight for transgender equality with this campaign featuring 17 transgender individuals of diverse backgrounds and stories that will be told through a series of short films. Renowned photographer Bruce Weber shot the campaign and Patricia Bosworth, a long-time contributor to Vanity Fair, interviewed each subject one-on-one. With this campaign and a private screening event, Barneys seeks to connect on a deeper level with consumers.

Fendi’s drones. Italian fashion house Fendi gave consumers a different view of its fall runway show with live-stream through high-definition cameras attached to drones. Consumers were able to watch the live footage on Fendi.com and switch between the four or more cameras flying in the air, to see different angles of the runway. The feed and videos about the making of the drone project were available on Fendi’s website following the live stream.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts teamed up with mattress manufacturer Simmons to introduce customizable beds. First the hotel chain enlisted research group Ipsos to gain a better understanding of consumers’ sleep preferences and patterns. Then the brand hosted Twitter chats with a number of sleep experts on World Sleep Day (March 14).

Karl Lagerfeld used an interactive digital approach to launch an eponymous fragrance. After a 10-day countdown of cartoon hands outfitted with Lagerfeld’s signature studded black leather gloves, it debuted its namesake fragrances for men and women at Harrods in London on March 13. Both the countdown and Lagerfeld’s celebrity status in the fashion crowd ensured that consumers routinely tuned in as the launch approached.

Kenzo “No Fish No Nothing” digital pop-up. French fashion label Kenzo blended social media, ecological awareness, and e-commerce in a Parisian digital pop-up store for its NoFishNoNothing line, created to benefit the Blue Marine Foundation. The interior was a digital aquarium where consumers could touch the screens to browse and buy products from the brand’s conservation line, and learn more about the cause. At regular intervals, the “tank” would lose 30% of its fish—the percentage of marine species threatened by extinction each day. Consumers could post photos of the store to Instagram, with the hashtag #NoFishNoNothing, and add a fish with their name to the aquarium.

“Strike” by Maserati. Italian automaker Maserati presented its first TV commercial in the United States during the Super Bowl this year. The commercial features an enormous wave crashing, a tornado closing in on a solitary house, a shadow engulfing a rock face, and a raging fire, all against a poem about the courage to stand up to giants. The commercial coincides with the brand’s launch of its new Ghibli model.

Marc Jacobs’ Daisy fragrance.
U.S. fashion brand Marc Jacobs built a community for lovers of its Daisy fragrance by creating a virtual daisy chain that incorporated social media, the scent’s ongoing campaign, and in-store efforts. The label reinforced its promotion of the Daisy fragrance throughout January with fan-submitted images that created a sense of community among enthusiasts. To make a purchase, the consumer had to use the branded hashtag #MJDaisyChain on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Neiman Marcus’s app.
 Neiman Marcus released an iOS mobile app that blends content and commerce. The app houses the retailer’s blog and Instagram feed, as well as shopping features, separating the retailer from competitors whose mobile apps are for commerce only. NM’s Instagram page also allows consumers to follow Neiman Marcus from within the app by logging in.

Net-A-Porter’s “I am Porter” app. British online retailer Net-A-Porter.com promoted the debut issue of its print magazine Porter with an application that allowed consumers to place their photos onto a digital image of the publication’s cover. The “I am Porter” app was tied into a social media contest, where consumers could enter to win a shopping spree by posting their magazine cover for their followers.

To learn more about each of these campaigns, click here.

Top image: Model Cara Delevigne on the Fendi runway. Photo, Modelinea.com