You could mistake it for next years blockbuster but in fact, “The Tale of Thomas Burberry,” is this years Christmas film for the British luxury fashion house, Burberry, and we can’t get enough.
The 3 minute cinematic film celebrates the story of Thomas Burberry, the man behind the iconic trench coat. The fantasy opus inspired by his life, chronicles Burberry’s rich and compelling history.
The glossy film features an all star cast who act out the tumultuous story, which is beautifully directed by award winning Asif Kapadia.
Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) plays Thomas Burberry and the stunning, Sienna Miller plays his wife. Dominic West makes an appearance as Ernest Shackleton, the explorer who wore Burberry during several expeditions and Lily James the face of Burberry plays a fictional pilot based on Betty Kirby-Green, who flew from England to Cape Town dressed in Burberry.
Speaking to WWD Lily James said, “I want there to be a full movie and with the amount of footage we shot, I’m sure they could have made a film. We invested in the characters and it was shot like a normal film.” The film is so beautiful and compelling that it is almost impossible not to wonder what it would be like as a feature film.
This film marks the changing ideology in the way that brands are promoting themselves. Gone are the days of glossy magazine shoots and runway shows.
20 years ago Ralph Lauren built his empire unabashedly selling dreams. These dreams would find their way to the store design, catalogues and advertising. Fast forward 20 years and it’s no longer enough to captivate the appetite of the luxury brand consumers using just these traditional concepts alone.
In the age of social media, everyone has become a blogger, a model, a filmmaker and the list goes on. Therefore brands must find new and compelling ways to captivate consumers.
Burberry’s film, and it is a film not just an ad, gives insight into the future where a brands story needs to live in new forms. This new kind of brand storytelling is known as “brand entertainment” in the marketing world and in the next few years we will begin to see a lot more of it. The consumer wants to be entertained and “The Tale of Thomas Burberry,” does just that.
You can watch the full film, “The Tale of Thomas Burberry” below.