During the pandemic Swedens no 1 luxury department store had to find new ways to stay connected and relevant to their target groups. We had to give the target groups a brand experience in their homes. NK's French Couture Atelier (1902-1966) tailored haute couture on license from big French fashion houses like Dior, Balenciaga, and Chanel - luxury brands still available at NK - so how could we use old to create new? An insight from the pandemic was that sewing as a hobby had increased. Due to the pandemic the media spend was low, 1 million SEK (approx. 97 000 Euro)

During the pandemic the world closed. Sweden’s no 1 luxury department store, NK, had to give the target groups a brand experience in their homes. We made some of the world’s most famous design patterns digital and free for all to download.

We could do so because NK's French Atelier was the most exclusive department at NK and a key player on the Swedish fashion scene throughout the first half of the 20th century. It was a bespoke atelier where everything was made to measure by hand for individual customers. The business was based on the managers of the atelier going to Paris every season to buy original garments, or prototype garments, from leading fashion houses, such as Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga, with a license to reproduce the garments for customers in Stockholm.

As a player in the luxury segment, you have to offer luxury beyond the ordinary, things that is hard to get hold of. But since luxury is redefined and more accessible you also must be just that; more accessible. With unique things that is hard to get hold of. During the pandemic, when everyone was at home, NK Swedens nr 1 luxury department store, therefor needed to create a brand experience beyond the ordinary, in a double sense.

NK’s target audience are looking for unique pieces, they do not want to look like everyone else. They are influenced by their surroundings, crafts and design.

The dresses were collected to an exhibition about NK's French Atelier and the sewing patterns were made by experts in pattern construction.

To reach the target group with the famous design patterns, make them download the patterns and start to sew their own interpretations, we used both bought media OOH, Social, Digital, and Print. Every unit had a QR-code for direct access to the download site.

We approached fashion influencers, sewing associations, sewing groups online and on Facebook, and fashion schools such as Beckmans and the Swedish School of Textiles to spread the word of the sewing patterns. The branded sewing patterns were posted in various Facebook groups with a total of 74 000 members interested in sewing.

The Crown Princess of Sweden was approached to wear a tailored haute couture dress from NK's Unlimited Edition of Haute Couture at the Nobel Prize Ceremony 2021.

80%* of NK:s target group liked the campaign. All time high! (benchmark 49%, Dentsu) *Odessy campaign index autumn 2022

73 % of the market liked the campaign (67% previous campaign)

56% of the market think that their impression of NK has changed (50% previous campaign)

The site traffic to nk.se increased with 28% from the same campaign period the year before.

The download site had + 25 000 visitors

Hundreds of newly created garments were posted on Instagram.

The branded sewing patterns were posted in various Facebook groups with a total of 74 000 members interested in sewing.

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria wore her interpretation of the Dior dress in December at Nobel 2021 - making PR in Swedish broadcast television with hundreds of thousands of viewers in Sweden, and hundreds of millions of viewers globally. And of course, on other media platforms in Sweden and the world.