Q̾u̾i̾c̾k̾ ̾F̾i̾r̾e̾: How to be chronically online, while being offline
A masterclass by Bottega Veneta
We need to talk about Bottega Veneta. Can you guess why? The brand has consistently ranked within the top 5 Hottest Brands according to the Lyst index for the entirety of 2024, slipping only to position 6 in the last couple of months, still points ahead of Balenciaga, Versace, Gucci, LV and the like. The Italian fashion house, currently helmed by Matthieu Blazy, has built a league of die-hard fans, earned a flurry of dedicated fan-accounts (shout out to the 1.5M follower-strong @newbottega), and is one of the most-mentioned luxury brands in the online discourse. But there’s one tiny detail: Bottega doesn’t have any social media accounts of its own. No internet-y TikTok accounts a la Loewe, no smart social-first series a la Burberry.
We can’t help but agree with Odunayo Ojo, aka @fashionroadman, who spotlighted Bottega Veneta’s marketing strategy in his most recent video: Bottega is a masterclass in how to be Very Online, without being online. Its most recent SS25 show is a prime example. The show did what all good luxury shows do best, keeping viewers and commentators on their toes with riotous creative expression (the show asked ‘What Would the Kid in You Want?’, successfully answering with a spectacle of childlike wonder) while staying true to the brand’s core. Then there was the super-tight attendee list, which went beyond basic clout to impeccably well-considered cultural knowledge: think Jacob Elordi, A$AP Rocky and I.N alongside more fringe cultural stars like Imane Khelif and Jools Lebron, who then playfully reviewed the show for Interview mag. The result? A sensitive and detailed conversation with social media, without any need for owned content.
In a world increasingly plagued by feed fatigue, the battle to stand out on social media has become often devoid of any real meaning. What Bottega has achieved is a successful protest against a near-futile battle to earn attention, instead channelling its creative energy and resource into IRL activations that engage with The Culture in more meaningful ways. In 2024 it’s released a photo-series about fatherhood by Carrie Mae Weems featuring A$AP Rocky, created two fanzines that let its audience peek BTS into the Bottega world in a more accessible and tactile way, cast a roster of it-brand ambassadors, and partnered with Italian heritage furniture makers Cassina and Zanotta. It’s a broad roster of activations that appeals to audiences high-low, young-old. But the consideration with which they’re pulled off means none seem inauthentic.
Bottega isn’t alone in this strategy. We’ve seen The Row praised for banning phones at its shows, and brands increasingly winning for getting creative with their brand expression, like Moncler Genius, which invites cultural legends to reimagine the Moncler brand, a great example of well-deserved cultural clout. All of these examples are proof that this approach works: rather than observing and following online trends, brands are fully capable of creating their own, treating social media culture as its peer and equal, rather than a source of culture-mining. What it achieves is a kind of dignity that is hard to come by in the current climate of incessant algorithm-stroking. It reads as effortless, not desperate. (Plus, earns brands extra brownie points for refusing to clutter feeds with unnecessary content).
So, thanks Bottega. Let this be a reminder to brands (and the rest of us) to operate from a place of creative abundance, not scarcity. To channel energy into longevity, not hype. And to be brand brutalist, with core values that stay holy and creative expression that invites true blasphemy. The rest, as Bottega proves, will follow.
Just a quick one from us today, readers. We’ll catch you again soon, and don’t forget to check out @morningfyi in the meantime for more Ø happenings. Until next time.
Interesting case study!
It made me think, unless this post is primarily written to target top fashion brands executives - isn't getting big name celebs and other relevant brands (as mentioned as the examples in this article) equally as difficult as an effective organic content marketing strategy?
Because you can still have dignity and grow a brand's social media at the same time. The creative marketing problem to be solved is just: Finding your own elegant sweet spot between art and advertising through the frames of algorithms. But I suspect the general sentiment here is a reproach against boisterious social media hammering overall. I might also have misunderstood some other fundamental part of where you're coming for. It's a very interesting question. Would love to learn more.
Love this take. Super smart and makes Bottega even more desirable as a brand.