The new campaign from the Burberry brand made me stop and smile when arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5 this week. The campaign, It’s Always Burberry Weather, was displayed on huge posters in the baggage collection area. It feels like Burberry has struck a better balance of freshness and consistency compared to previous campaigns, which emphasised edginess and modernity. I love how the campaign makes core outerwear the star of the show.
Researching the campaign, I discovered that it is part of a wider effort to refocus on and revitalise the core of the Burberry brand under the banner Burberry Forward, a strategic reset we explore in this post. Revenues have flattened in recent years and the strategy is an attempt to get the brand growing again.
1. Refocus on the Core
CEO Joshua Schulman is putting the focus firmly back on the core product that made the Burberry brand famous: outerwear and specifically the trench coat. “We are operating in a difficult market, however, our underperformance is also a consequence of the decisions we have taken,” Schulman candidly admitted. “It stems from an inconsistent brand execution and a lack of focus on our core outerwear category.” (1)
This approach is straight out of the playbook used by former CEO Angela Ahrendts, who we posted on back in 2013 here. When Ahrendts took the helm, she discovered Burberry had “lost its focus in the process of global expansion. We were selling dog cover-ups and leashes… a whole section of kilts.” Her solution? Reconnect with, re-focus on and revitalise the iconic trench coat that made Burberry famous.
Now Schulman is drawing from the same strategic well, with Burberry Forward placing outerwear firmly back at the centre of the brand universe. “Our Summer 2025 campaign is a joyous celebration of our original purpose – to create clothing that protects people from the weather, he commented (2).
2. Drive reach
The Burberry brand’s previous approach narrowed in on just trend-conscious “opinionated” customers. In doing so, the brand neglected four other customer groups: high-spending “investors”, “conservatives” seeking affordable quality, “hedonists” who appreciate self-expression and “aspirationals”. As Schulman acknowledged, “We prioritised seasonal fashion moments at the expense of our core categories.” (2) The issue with this approach was tightly targeting a narrow group of customers at the expense of reach. “Although this audience can be influential, the narrowness of our target confused a large and important cross section of our core customers.”
Now, the brand is smartly looking to drive broad reach. Particular attention will be given to a core target made up of the “investors” and “hedonists. Appealing to this core target will, as Schulman noted, naturally “inspire the conservative and the aspiring customer, respectively.” To further explore how to use a core target to create a mix that attracts a wider consumption target, check out this earlier post.
3. Remember What Made You Famous …
Beyond the outdoor executions, the It’s Always Burberry Weather campaign also features a series of beautiful films set in London (3). This sees the brand reconnect with and refresh what made it famous in terms of both its roots and core product.
Burberry has long traded on its British heritage, naming a fragrance Burberry London, for example. However, recent campaigns had wandered away from these roots. The new strategy sets out to “capture British wit and style and balance recognisable London imagery with British countryside.” Chief Creative Officer Daniel Lee describes the film as “inspired by much-loved British rom coms, focusing on the everyday romances of ordinary Londoners. It’s about humour, optimism and, of course, the unpredictability of our great British weather.” (4)
Rooting the story in the wet weather we have all year round in London anchors the narrative on the core trench coat product that made the brand famous.
4. … and Refresh What Made You Famous
Constant refreshment is, of course, essential for any luxury brand. A key pillar of the Burberry Forward strategy is to “juxtapose heritage and innovation across all customer touchpoints.” (5) The It’s Always Burberry Weather campaign does a good job of bringing some freshness and innovation. It blends established stars like Kate Winslet, David Candy and Richard E. Grant with newer talent, including Aimee Lee Wood of White Lotus fame. The products featured are also a mix of more familiar, classic gabardine trenches and more fashion-forward takes on the core product. “Trench elements are reconstructed as jackets, dresses and tops in washed silk poplin and linen,” as the brand’s website explains (6).
A better balance of freshness and consistency has also been achieved with the visual identity. A radical redesign in 2018 introduced a stark sans-serif logo, shocking many brand loyalists. In 2023 Burberry returned to a more traditional serif-based approach and use of the horse symbol, honouring its heritage while feeling contemporary. This is another example of refreshing rather than revolutionising what made the brand famous.
5. Drive the Change Through the Mix
This refocus on refreshing the core is also reflected in-store and in merchandising. Window displays now prominently feature the trench coat and scarves, with Schulman noting, “Aside from the pricing strategy, outerwear and scarves will be pushed to the most prominent positions within stores.” (2)
The Burberry brand has even introduced a dedicated “Scarf Bar” at its New York flagship, with plans to roll this concept out to other locations. These changes signal that the shift isn’t just “image wrapper” branding: it’s a fundamental realignment of the business around core products that made Burberry and where it has genuine credibility.
In conclusion, refocusing on and refreshing what made the Burberry brand famous will hopefully it a fighting chance of weathering the storm facing all luxury brands. Let’s hope that Shulman is right when he says, “Burberry’s best days are ahead.”
Sources
