GENEVA — Snagging the highest gong or step one of the rostrum isn’t nearly talent or dedication.
It’s about being “Designed to Win,” the motto of Tag Heuer‘s newest model campaigned unveiled Tuesday to coincide with the opening of Watches and Wonders right here.
For chief government officer Antoine Pin, this new tagline is greater than a advertising and marketing play — it’s about highlighting the Tag Heuer fundamentals, a necessity that stood out as quickly as he took the place in July.
“We’re in a world the place there may be numerous dilution of brand name messages and signifiers, resulting from many components,” he advised WWD. “So it was about returning to the essence of who we’re, a really wholesome transfer because it forces us to construction and make clear our message.”
That message, in a yr the place the Swiss watchmaker has returned as official timekeeper of System 1, is that it’s all about surpassing oneself and being greater than the sum of 1’s elements — people and watches alike.
“It’s not simply [in] sports activities,” Pin mentioned. “That’s why it’s such a common message. You will be the best actor on the planet as nicely. It’s only a matter of steadiness and onerous work.”
Showing within the black-and-white marketing campaign are those that embody this ultimate within the model’s opinion, reminiscent of Ryan Gosling — who additionally narrates the marketing campaign movie; four-time Olympic medal profitable hurdler, sprinter and world report holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone; Canadian swimmer Summer season McIntosh, who gained three gold medals on the 2024 Paris Video games, and champion golfer Tommy Fleetwood.
Tommy Fleetwood
Courtesy of Tag Heuer
There are additionally appearances by System 1 champions Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen, two ace drivers some three a long time aside however whose gazes carry the same dedication.
One other main inspiration for the marketing campaign is Senna, revealed Tag Heuer’s chief advertising and marketing officer George Ciz.
“A well-known quote of his is ‘I’m not designed to come back third or second, I’m designed to win,’” the manager mentioned. “This was actually the motto Ayrton used to imagine in and it struck a chord with us.”
Placing the late System 1 driver in a digital face-off with present champion Verstappen additionally helps the marketing campaign dovetail into the model’s return because the motorsport’s official timekeeper from this yr, as a part of a 10-year cope with father or mother group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
“There are many people who find themselves asking if Tag Heuer will attain the billion-euro mark in gross sales. That’s not what pursuits me,” Pin mentioned. “The Tag Heuer spirit is expressing what actually takes us ahead and if we categorical it nicely, if we all know actually carry that message, there’s a huge neighborhood of people that share these very common values.”
Pin believes that after a model has the eye of such a cohort, it may possibly proceed to the touch them. “Outcomes come once we are true in our expression of our work and life philosophy,” he mentioned.
There may be alternative aplenty given the visibility afforded by System 1, which counts over 750 million followers worldwide, in keeping with figures from Nielsen Sports activities final yr. However the government is cautious of overreaching, reiterating Tag Heuer’s 100-year reference to sports activities, notably chronometry for vehicles.
‘It’s not about seducing 100% of the viewers of System 1,” mentioned Pin. “It’s about actually expressing our identification to talk to a neighborhood that shares our values, perceive our product identification and who will need to make investments.”
But, two races into the System 1 season and that’s already shaping right into a win for Tag Heuer, “100% in each single side,” as Ciz put it.
Exhibit A: the site visitors to Tag Heuer shops has seen “greater than double-digit development” since January, in keeping with the CMO.
That’s on prime of engagement that has been by way of the roof. On Instagram, the watchmaker has leaped from seventh place to 3rd in 2023, earlier than climbing to second place final yr. Since January, it’s in pole place, forward of rivals reminiscent of Rolex, whose fan base is over 5 instances bigger than Tag Heuer’s.
Ayrton Senna
Courtesy of Tag Heuer
“The thrill that we’ve got seen, and the vitality that we’ve got seen each within the digital sphere in addition to in bodily presence in shops has been wonderful,” Ciz mentioned.
Rolled out throughout print and digital media in addition to billboards, the marketing campaign is about “inspiring individuals that actually imagine that each one of us has the power to do wonderful issues,” he continued.
As such, it isn’t geared towards any explicit demographic, a broad attraction that Ciz sees as an asset.
“Everybody in the meanwhile is speaking about youthful generations and specializing in youthful customers. Clearly, we additionally on the lookout for them, however we additionally know that our present clients are little bit older,” the CMO continued, noting it was within the 40-plus age vary at current.
An viewers Tag Heuer is eager to seize is younger professionals, a demographic that has incomes potential but in addition excessive motivation and a eager curiosity in burnishing each aspect of it, from their skilled tracks to their well-being and efficiency.
“They usually care about genuine tales,” Ciz mentioned. “We actually imagine that authenticity is the brand new forex of luxurious.”
