How Marc Jacobs is winning social with its ‘beautifully unhinged’ TikToks

Search for Marc Jacobs, however, and you will find absolutely none of that. For a luxury fashion label that debuts its collections on the runway and has dresses retailing for $2,000, its TikTok page stands in complete contrast, posting “unhinged” UGC videos from little-known content creators.

@marcjacobs Fashion! @Supa.Soakers ♬ original sound - marcjacobs

We asked top social agencies why they think the strategy is working and what brands could learn from it

Paul Hewitt, executive creative director at The Lot, says Marc Jacobs’s strategy works simply because its fashion. “Marc Jacobs isn’t accessible or affordable to the Gen Z audience. It’s just about talkability. It’s like fashion has always been; it just wants to be talked about.”

While there might be some brand damage from this approach, Hewitt says fashion loves to get in trouble. “These are the people creating culture and that is always what they’ve tried to do.” The contradiction between luxury and lowbrow content is what gets people talking.

“There’s something so beautifully unhinged in that lux being born out of these two opposites – a massive contradiction. You’ve got these luxury items being sold in the most unexpected way. It’s so attention-grabbing and it just sells the vibe and I want it.”

It was Marc Jacobs’s partnership with the TikTok creator Lewis Saunderson that made Manisha Mehta, global PR and communications manager at Bynder, stand up and take note of the fashion brand’s “surprising” social strategy. Lewissaunderson38 is the profile of an English actor with 1.8m TikTok followers who posted crying videos of himself as different characters reacting badly to different situations. Marc Jacobs posted a skit by Saunderson wearing clothes and a bag from the designer on its TikTok. Comments on the video all praise Marc Jacobs for its “marketing genius.”

@marcjacobs Telling my best friend I’m in love with her @lewissaunderson ♬ original sound - marcjacobs

“While this will likely be a temporary experiment or stunt to generate attention, it certainly worked and already sparked significant buzz, receiving both praise and curiosity across social media,” Mehta says.

Although Marc Jacobs appears to be getting widespread praise for its approach, brands would be foolish to jump on its bandwagon. Before taking “such a bold step,” marketers should evaluate whether the brand guidelines are strong enough to venture off-brand, Mehta says. “This can be a challenge, especially when you are so deeply immersed in the brand.” Marketers should also consider the following factors, she says: “How long you have been in business, the volume of campaigns put out and engagement rates will help you make a more informed decision.”

@marcjacobs @Rahul Mehmi ♬ original sound - marcjacobs

According to Jamie Ray, founder of the social agency Buttermilk, Marc Jacobs’s strategy is a “masterclass” in reactive and authentic brand engagement. “By embracing humor and playfulness, it has successfully tapped into this lo-fi ‘unseriousness’ attitude Gen Z is obsessed with,” he says. Buttermilk has previously worked with Marc Jacobs to create a community-first influencer strategy for TikTok and Instagram.

These days, people are “desensitized” to polished content, says Ray. Instead, brands that “humanize” themselves are doing better on social. “We’ve seen it work wonders for brands including Duolingo, but audiences least expect it from brands that embody prestige and luxury.”

Like Hewitt, Ray believes there is likely to be some brand damage for a luxury label creating this type of content, but there is a bit of risk to brands that fail to embrace this new approach to social media. “We are witnessing the decline of many luxury powerhouses, such as Chanel, due to their aversion to fully embracing social media and creators more specifically,” says Ray. On the flip side, however, Jacquemus, Prada and Marc Jacobs have managed to elevate their brands and reach younger consumers without, crucially, “cheapening” themselves. “As a result, they have lifted the lid on luxury and moved the entire sector forward.”