Marketers are often told they need to choose between communicating the brand or selling the product. The latest Rimowa brand campaign shows how to break this trade-off and do both. Titled ‘Engineered for Life,’ the spot starts in Rimowa’s factory in Cologne. It then captures each suitcase’s travels with its owner, proudly bearing the marks of their journeys: dents, scratches and stickers (1).
This campaign is another great example of Rimowa expertly blending functional ‘sausage’ and emotional ‘sizzle’, building on an earlier campaign I posted on here.
Here’s how I think they perfectly pull this off.
1. Blend function and emotion
Rimowa and their creative agency Anomaly have beautifully blended function and emotion. They have delivered against the mantra of agency McCann that I love: The truth well told. The ‘Engineered for Life’ campaign turns a Rimowa case from a simple piece of luggage into a symbol of luxury travel. “We create cases that aren’t just built for life; they truly become a canvas for the enduring spirit of those who journey with us,” explained Emelie De Vitis, Rimowa’s senior VP Product & Marketing, on the Drum website (2).
The clever slogan has a double meaning. Firstly, a Rimowa case will last a lifetime, thanks to the engineering and also the guarantee (see below). Secondly, Rimowa cases are built robustly so that you can live the life of travels you want and they will put up with the punishment. You can see this latter point brought to life by Rimowa cases always shown with dents, scratches and stickers. “Rimowa speaks to consumers looking for a suitcase that is a reliable companion that can resist the passing of time and makes memories along the way,” as Anomaly London’s CEO Camilla Harrisson explained.
A neat digital tool on the brand’s website allows you to swipe from left to right to reveal the lifetime of memories accumulated in a Rimowa case.
2. Build on substance, not spin
The idea of being engineered for life is under-pinned by the lifetime guarantee that now comes with every piece of Rimowa luggage. The brand previously offered a five year guarantee, but went much further in July 2022 by extending this to a lifetime guarantee. This is a powerful brand truth, suggesting that the brand sells luggage which is incredibly robust and resilient. The pride in a the product is captured in a statement given to website Man of Many. “The lifetime warranty on all our suitcases … expresses our confidence in their unmatched durability.” (3)
3. Backed up by service
The repair service offered by Rimowa is an example of backing up storytelling with ‘storydoing’. “Our global store network enables us to serve you nearly everywhere,” the brand explains on its website. “We process most of our basic repairs on the spot for you. Should an immediate repair not be possible, we will organize shipment to our client care experts.”
This is already great service. But the brand goes a step further to create ‘wow’ service by also offering a Rimowa repair service at participating luxury hotels. “Speak to your hotel and if they’ve partnered with us, we will fix your RIMOWA before your departure date,” the brand promises.
4. Bring your brand idea to life
Digging a bit more, I found on the Rimowa website more detail on how the team have brought the idea to life. There is a lovely manifesto which gives more detail and depth to the idea. This is really useful tool for briefing a creative agency team.
In conclusion, the Rimowa brand campaign is a beautiful example of skilful storytelling that successfully blends functional product messaging and emotional appeal. It elevates Rimowa luggage from a travel necessity to a symbol of luxury travel and lifelong companionship.
Full disclosure. After many years of looking at Rimowa cases, Mrs Taylor and I finally splashed out on one each for our big joint birthday celebration last year!
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