BMW. Louis Vuitton. Gucci.
These luxury brands are all household names by now.
Certain qualities and attributes appear when you think of them, too.
For instance, what do you imagine when you hear “Mercedes Benz?”
Probably the three-pointed star logo, right?
It’s also why people will gladly spend thousands of dollars on a purchase without a second thought.
And, what’s the reason? Branding and impeccable copy.
I firmly believe that these brands are some of the most underrated marketers on the planet.
Keep reading to learn their secrets.
What is a luxury copywriter?
1. Focus on the exclusivity
Luxury goods place customers in a clubhouse.
Not everyone can afford them. Not everyone has access to them.
This makes the products rare, scarce, and highly desired.
It’s also an incredibly effective copywriting tactic. They know this. That’s why they commonly incorporate it into their messaging.
Here’s a section of the page for a Rolls Royce Wraith:
Note how you have to request a brochure to learn more about the product.
You can’t find the price or typical product information on the website.
It keeps customers in a gated community and you have to be allowed in; exclusivity at its finest.
Exclusivity can also be achieved through rare materials. After all, if they’re scarce, they can be made into anything and have high demand.
Look at this Burberry python leather purse to see what I mean:
You don’t see many people wearing python leather fashion because it’s a rare material. (The price tag reflects this.)
Additionally, Burberry elaborates on the materials and premium construction in the product description.
You don’t have to necessarily rationalize why the material is so special. Let it speak for itself.
Unless, of course, it’s an unheard-of material that could use explanation.
Furthermore, nothing beats one-of-a-kind. Luxury brands call this bespoke.
It’s not enough to have the best of the best. It needs to be only yours.
That’s why Ferrari—one of my favorite car brands—offers a personalization program.
Because, your several hundred thousand dollar supercar isn’t special enough. 😂
This, just like other bespoke programs, allows the customer to choose specific colors, materials, and extra features.
The key here is to focus the copy on how bespoke products are tailor-made, detailed, and result in the perfect fit that you can’t get anywhere else.
2. Price does matter
If you saw a Gucci belt sold for $15, it wouldn’t have the same effect as when it’s sold for $300.
This is why price does matter.
It’s directly related to quality and value.
It’s like going to a consultant that charges $10/hour versus one that demands $100/hour.
You would expect lesser service from the first individual.
That’s why you see luxury brands either do one of two things:
- Clearly display high price tags: Think of it as confidence. Yeah, our bag is $3,000. So what? People buy and love it.
- Don’t display any prices: Customers who know what our prices are in the clubhouse. If you don’t, contact us.
Saint Laurent uses the first approach on the product page for this jacket:
Yes, it’s a jacket worth college tuition, and they show it proudly.
Bentley Motors, on the other hand, takes the second approach.
The above is the page for their new Continental GT V8.
You’d have a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack than finding a price tag.
Rather, you have to “request information” to get the MSRP.
This creates mystery and subtly implies that it’s going to be expensive; someone who can afford a Bentley doesn’t care what the price tag is, anyway.
3. Images mean a thousand words
Great images and copy go hand-in-hand.
Often they won’t have the same impact until they’re paired together.
Luxury brands thrive on this. Heck, they’re visually driven businesses to begin with.
And, if you’re spending thousands of dollars or more on a product, you better know what you’re getting.
That’s why Rolls Royce includes insanely detailed photos of cars on their website.
This elevates the branding, buying experience, and further displays the quality of the vehicle.
Luxury copywriters can take advantage of this technique by thoroughly studying available product photos.
Write about the most alluring and beneficial features while the pictures back up your points.
Claude Hopkins put it best: images are salespeople themselves.
4. Show off influencers and press
49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations.
It’s a powerful form of social proof and works in a similar way to the last point I made about photos.
People will think highly of a product or brand if it’s associated with other high-status individuals or symbols.
That’s why luxury businesses regularly show off celebrities who use their products, collaborate with other brands, and brag about the press.
This BMW i8 and Louis Vuitton luggage collaboration is a great example:
They both have audiences interested in high-end goods, allowing for effective cross-promotion.
The press is another strategy luxury copywriters use to enhance branding and authority like on the Lamborghini media center.
This blog is dedicated to Lamborghini’s achievements, updates, and news—all of which add to their status.
5. Talk emotion, status, and reputation
Why do people buy high-end and expensive products?
Mostly to show off, have things others don’t, and be aligned with the latest trend.
And, no. I’m not being a jerk. That’s what a Deloitte survey concluded when surveying consumers.
What does this mean as a luxury copywriter?
Firstly, you need to focus on the element of status and reputation; people will turn their heads, you will look wealthy, etc.
Secondly, hone in on the emotion. 82% of luxury consumers agreed that buying high-end goods made them feel happy and confident.
Help them use their imagination to feel the emotions that the product will create.
Lastly, focus on quality. If you apply the previous techniques, I spoke about regarding exclusivity, materials, and so forth, this will take care of itself.
6. Keep in line with the brand
Let me ask you something.
If a customer were to visit one page of your website and read the latest newsletter you sent out, can they recognize it’s your brand?
Or, if you stripped the logo and name, would it be unrecognizable?
That’s why branding consistency is so crucial.
If there’s one thing I hope you’ve taken away so far, it is that luxury companies have extremely elaborate and well-constructed brands.
You see their logo, and you instantly think and feel something. That’s extremely powerful.
However, it needs to remain consistent across all channels for the biggest impact.
Here’s the homepage for Rolls Royce, for example:
Very luxurious, right?
Even their navigation gives the same impression.
They use the word “Enquire” because it sounds posher than “Contact.”
Then, their Instagram account uses the same logo and overall aesthetic.
What does this mean for luxury brand copywriting?
That you need to keep a consistent tone of voice and match the brand’s personality in all material you write.
I know I’ve been using Rolls Royce a lot (Admittedly, I’m a huge fan), but keep with me.
Here’s another example of copy from one of their product pages:
It’s bold. It’s seducing. It has a unique style that jumps from the page.
You see the same writing on any asset of theirs you visit. A.K.A they’ve achieved perfect consistency.
Final thoughts on luxury copywriting
If there’s one industry all copywriters can learn from, it’s the luxury market.
Because if they can sell expensive high-end goods, their copy must be of equal quality.
Apply the main takeaways from today’s article next time you’re writing luxury sales copy:
- Focus on how a product is exclusive in materials, quantity, or craftsmanship.
- Boldly state high price tags or hide them.
- Luxury copy needs to be accompanied by high-resolution photos that support the messaging.
- Brag about celebrities, influencers, and press mentions.
- Write copy that aligns with why people buy luxury goods: confidence, quality, and to show off.
- Luxury copy aligns with how the brand presents itself.
You can also get mentorship from me and take your writing skills to where they’ve never been before in my courses.
