Transforming a fashion show into a two-day narrative adventure
The H&M Studio collection represents the pinnacle of the brand's fashion-forward design. Previously, the collection was always previewed with a runway show during Paris Fashion Week. However, as a high-street retailer, standing out amid fashion’s biggest names was a challenge.
So, for their SS19 collection, we suggested stepping away from Fashion Week to create a moment entirely of their own. For two days in early March, we immersed 72 of the world’s top influencers in a first-of-its-kind fashion experience.
The result was the first-ever immersive fashion journey. The groundbreaking storytelling fomat was part immersive theatre and part glamorous adventure – while still every bit a fashion show.
The H&M Studio SS19 collection offered an evocative world to bring to life. The designs were inspired by a modern vision of glamorous adventure, from safari-style jackets to animal-print dresses.
We gathered influencers from over forty countries in one magical place: Sedona in the middle of the Arizona desert.
A traditional runway show is all over in 15 minutes – moments before the next one begins. But our immersive format allowed us to capture our audience’s complete attention for over two days.
I worked with immersive director Connie Harrison to construct an original narrative that ran throughout the experience. This adventure played out in the real world, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Inspired by an overarching theme of discovery, our audience was part of the storyline. However, each guest was free to choose their own level of involvement.
Within the fictional world of our story, our audience were all on a glamorous expedition organised by three globetrotting friends: Yolanda, Sofia and Frieda. They had been specially chosen because of their curious minds and adventurous spirits.
But, of course, there was more to this story. Sedona is known as a place full of wonder and mystery, and as such, there was a secret to be uncovered.
The adventure began the moment our audience arrived in Arizona, with a mysterious package. Everything that followed was a complete surprise – from scripted scenes and secret messages to unexpected encounters and hidden rooms.
All these discoveries led to a series of spectacular fashion moments. Each one bringing to life a key look within the collection – daywear, activewear, safari wear and evening wear.
This journey also featured an incredible cast of female talent, including a water-ballet routine, BMX stunt show, and surprise performances by Maggie Rogers and The Staves.
On the last night, the story concluded when the three friends revealed their secret: a rare natural light phenomenon. An uplifting, choreographed performance accompanied this uplifting moonlight spectacle.
Influencers were given the freedom to do what they do best: capture and share incredible content. Unlike other immersive formats, our audience was actively encouraged to take and share photos – after all, this was an expedition.
As a result, we achieved the highest-ever organic reach for an H&M collection. Over 48 hours, our influencers shared 1,890 social posts, which generated 1.25b+ views, likes and comments. 48 of the 70 influencers even saved the event to their Instagram Highlights.
Meanwhile, H&M also shared the experience on their own channels. We told an interactive version of the expedition on Instagram Stories. Fans could follow the story in real-time, which included audience participation, Q&As and interactions with our influencers. In addition, the finale was streamed on Instagram Live (as well as TMall.com in China), and key moments were shared on IGTV.
Another important benefit of this immersive format was that our audience became part of the show. H&M styled every influencer so they would also be showcasing the collection.
Not only did the two-day event generate an abundance of social content, but it fuelled the entire global advertising. Within hours, footage from the event was edited down into a campaign. film. Additional footage and photography were featured in-store, across H&M.com and as shoppable social posts. The uniqueness of this format also attracted widespread coverage within the fashion press, including features in Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bizarre.
The combination of these elements, guaranteed sustained momentum leading up to the collection's launch a week later, which completely sold out in just ten days.
