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Answer quickly: what is the item of clothing that best represents the English weather? The trench coat, of course! And who makes the most iconic trench in the world? Burberry, no doubt. Everyone knows the story, but it’s worth a quick summary: it all started when Thomas Burberry founded a small store in the Hampshire region. The year was 1856 and the company’s growth was soon to happen. In 1880 the gabardine was born, the perfect waterproof fabric to make life easier for English people, who constantly deal with unpredictable rains.
With a shop in London, Thomas Burberry & Sons provided coats for the British Army and for a Norwegian expedition to the North Pole. In 1914, during World War I, the classic trench coat arrived and in the 1920s, the famous beige, black, red and white check, used as lining. At this point, Burberry was already a world reference and remained so for decades, until the excess of traditions dusted the brand.
The turning point only happened in 1997, when the GUS group decided to resurrect it. The first step was to hire Rose Marie Bravo (former Saks) to be the new CEO and Roberto Menichetti (former Jil Sander) to be in charge of design. Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld were invited to photograph and style the campaigns. The change became more intense with the arrival of Christopher Bailey, a former Gucci designer and a key figure for the company, who now combines the functions of CCO (chief creative officer) and CEO, following the departure of Angela Ahrendts. Together, they transformed Burberry in a phenomenon. The brand not only rejuvenated as it has become a digital marketing case, launching unprecedented actions on social networks, creating innovative campaigns such as “Art of Trench”, and supporting projects for new talents, as Burberry Acoustic and Burberry Foundation.
The young image was reinforced by a team of “it people” in the campaigns: Kate Moss, Agyness Deyn, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Emma Watson, Cara Delevigne and several promising talents of film and music strike a pose for Testino’s lens every season. From shows to campaigns, through casting and even Instagram, which constantly displays the London weather, everything is designed to communicate a “London lifestyle”, positioning the brand as an English icon. The fog, rain, parks, monuments, roses and, of course, the trench and the famous check became status symbols of this lifestyle and are instantly recognized worldwide. The consumer who purchases Burberry is actually buying the idea of being an authentic Londoner, with all the prestige it carries.
For these reasons, Burberry is an example of the Ruler archetype, with its desire to feel important, prestigious and show who is “in control”. The archetype is also closely linked to patriotism (as I explained analysing Ralph Lauren) and leadership, which is also explicit at the company transformation, from a dusty brand to a corporation with strictly aligned culture, that even trades on the stock market. A case that inspires, for sure!
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