Don’t Sleep on Craft Process Videos
Unpacking why they matter.
When I was a communications student (only 12 short years ago), I thoroughly studied Hermès’ documentary Les mains d’Hermès (Hearts and Crafts) for my final year thesis. It taught me a lot about the necessity of this kind of content. Especially through reading the golden book, packed with amazed testimonies. I saw a lot of wow and thank you, wonder and emotion, gratitude and admiration. Many said they would no longer wear their Hermès bags, scarves, or jewelry the same way. Then why so few brands actually share their making of? With an ever-shrinking attention span, do the others think it would bore their audience? LOEWE daily proves otherwise. I strictly used some of the Spanish house’s signature process videos to illustrate that story. Not because I’m lazy. Or biased (I work with them). Because they’re the best at it.
In his book L’intelligence de la main, Hugues Jacquet states that every luxury item should bear the imprint of the human hand. The irregularity of the human hand, in contrast to the sterility of mechanical operations, imbues products with a soul. It elevates them beyond the predictable, bland world of mass production.
You probably noticed that, in every craft process video, artisans’ hands are filmed in extreme close-up, right at the heart of the action, to highlight the technical prowess, meticulousness, and beauty of their gestures. Demystifying the manufacturing process is less about desecrating the mystery than feeding the myth. It allows brands to assert their luxury identity, reaffirm their preeminence, and differentiate their designs from prosaic, semi-luxury or counterfeit goods. That approach is all the more important for classic luxury houses (those born in 19th-century Europe), as they’re seen as cultural institutions with a heritage to preserve, tied to a long history of traditional craftsmanship.
With a slowdown in demand, growing mistrust (blame it on Dior and Armani), and the emergence of new, uninitiated consumers, luxury fashion faces the necessity of re-explaining its craft, to help people understand and appreciate its value. It must demonstrate that its products are not mere commodities but one-of-a-kind pieces, crafted with care, patience, precision and intricacy. In an increasingly demanding market, if brands don’t justify their superior quality and high price tags, their legitimacy may erode. Words and/or static pictures are not enough though. Videos are it. Videos are vivid and memorable. Engaging and tangible. Immersive and universal. They act as visual proofs, can capture something complex in seconds, and create an emotional connection.
Luxury can only be fully itself when it succeeds in turning perishable objects of consumption into timeless myths. And for that, it needs the Internet. While back in the day, behind the scenes remained hidden, The Internet offers the opportunity for brands to reveal and highlight their savoir-faire, to nourish their storytelling and power of attraction. But that tool has to be used wisely. Don’t expect to reach and touch loads of people with some dry content buried in a forgotten section of your website (though you still have to do that). Do it like LOEWE. Punchy, instructive short videos, shared on social media. There are those IG dumps and TikTok’s diptych formats that I particularly love, where the brand juxtaposes the finished product with the process. Raw, clear, fresh. To get your message across, you need to adapt to the codes of the medium and its audience.
Showcasing the magic of the handmade can also evoke a nostalgic emotion for traditional, sometimes ancestral, techniques and gestures, that seem doomed to disappear. By doing so, brands humanize themselves and provide an anchor amid current massification, uprooting and mechanization. Hugues Jacquet (that guy again) speaks of a rediscovered paradise in the industrial age, a fantasized memory of a better, utopian time. In fact, nostalgia serves as an emotional reservoir from which consumers draw in their search for reassuring, comforting brands and products. At a time of economic fragility and uncertainty, we need safe havens more than ever.
As today’s consumers, especially those called Millennials and GenZers, require authenticity, craft process videos not only affirm brands’ commitment to excellence and tradition but also help them bond with their audience. I’m pretty sure I used the word authenticity in every single issue of this newsletter (okay, I didn’t post that much, but still). Well, that’s the name of the game. Brands that favor transparency and genuine storytelling will not only endure but thrive. Authenticity is not another trend; it’s a necessity.
By Marine Desnoue.
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