LVMH has won the Luxury Lions Grand Prix for The Partnership That Changed Everything, by Havas Play, Paris.
Olympic regulations restrict brand visibility in venues and ceremonies. With no traditional media allowed, LVMH sought to create work that media outlets want to cover and that people want to share, positioning itself as a cultural partner rather than a conventional sponsor at the event.
Each of the brand’s maisons contributed to the Games: Chaumet designed the medals, Louis Vuitton crafted the trunks, Berluti dressed the torchbearers, and Dior choreographed performances. Without logos or paid placements, the focus was on emotion, craftsmanship and national pride.
Describing the luxury category, Mathilde Delhoume-Debreu, global brand officer at LVMH, said, ‘We see luxury as a lighthouse because we can pioneer new grounds. We can challenge existing norms and truly push them further. This is what creativity is about. It’s about re-examining the norm to create something extraordinary without ever betraying the DNA of the brand, which is critical when dealing with luxury.’
Before announcing the winner, Delhoume-Debreu demurred, ‘I have to say, it will be difficult to tell you what happened in the room, because I was out of the room when this was discussed and voted, I promise.’
She did say that the campaign earned Grand Prix status because it put craft at its core, made a cultural impact, redefined traditional sponsorship into a creative partnership, and stayed true to the brand’s ethos.
