The Dark Side of 'Always On' Marketing

"When Jimmy Choo released its autumn 2025 campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney, some social media commenters lamented the brand's choice of the star following American Eagle 's controversy-addled "Good Jeans" ad starring the actress. But it illuminated a broader issue the luxury industry is facing: An epidemic of sameness."

"The Choo campaign, featuring Sweeney starring as different "characters" to represent the various accessories she's wearing, was the brand's second time spotlighting the actress (its first was in summer 2024). It was also one of many featuring the star, who has been the face of brands including beauty lines Laneige and Dr. Squatch. And while it depicted the versatility of Jimmy Choo's line of shoes, the campaign largely lacked a narrative angle that differentiated it from others in the luxury space."

"Just a few months prior, Givenchy released its autumn campaign - its first under new creative director Sarah Burton - featuring model Kaia Gerber who, like Sweeney, has appeared in countless brand campaigns from Mango to DKNY. The ads were meant to illustrate the creative relationship between women at work, showing seemingly candid moments between Gerber and the campaign's director Halina Reijn, script in hand."

"For many brands, marketing has devolved into a neverending game of one-upmanship for consumer attention at the expense of creativity and compelling storytelling. In turn, shoppers, with endless options for entertainment, have learned to tune brands out."

Luxury fashion campaigns are increasingly homogeneous, frequently recycling the same celebrities across brands and failing to offer distinct narratives. Jimmy Choo's autumn 2025 campaign featured Sydney Sweeney in multiple character roles to show versatility but lacked a differentiating narrative. Givenchy's autumn campaign with Kaia Gerber similarly used a familiar face and staged candid-workplace moments without strong distinctiveness. The prevailing marketing playbook—splashy collaborations, celebrity-fronted campaigns, influencer-filled runway spectacles, and alignment with trending cultural assets—is producing diminishing returns. Marketing has grown into relentless one-upmanship for attention, and consumers, saturated with entertainment options, have learned to tune brands out.

Read at The Business of Fashion