Agatha, the high-end costume-jewellery brand that revolutionized the category 30 years ago, was bought out in 2006 by its Chinese distributor, King Power, which placed a former Cartier executive at its head. Three years later the brand is launching, in France, what I consider the most insipid and apathetic advertising campaign we have seen in a long time: "Agatha, that's me".
We immediately understand the client's brief: "Show that all (young) women can wear Agatha jewellery". Besides the fact that this dilutes the very idea of the brand behind its "clients", these interchangeable visuals, with no soul, only display a complete lethargy, both intellectual and emotional. This campaign does not dare: why does it not (at last) follow Dove's example and show that all women, whatever their age, wear Agatha jewellery? Trying to rejuvenate the target has made it commonplace.
Agatha is a brand that was built on direct relationships with its clients, without advertising, showing great creativity in its products (modular custom-made jewellery, for example). Now, facing strong competition from luxury brands (such as Baccarat, Christofle) which saw in costume jewellery a remarkable relay for growth, or from new entrants such as Swarovski, Agatha, positioned mid-range, will, in my opinion, have to do better than this campaign to stimulate growth.
