• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 9, 2021

For fashion lovers, the pandemic has been one long dreary style drought. After so many months of few parties, vacations or big events to get dressed up for, Neiman Marcus is helping customers get back out there with a fall campaign called “Re-Introduce Yourself.”

In a video campaign slated for release later this month, the retailer speaks to the many ways people have changed over the last 18 months. “We were stripped of who we were and put the fabric of our lives on hold,” the voiceover says. “Maybe all this time has softened you or hardened your resolve. Either way, it changes you.”

Apparel spending has come roaring back. But those changes mean fashion-forward shoppers are more open-minded, questioning what their style should be. “Customers are looking for more guidance about how to go through this metamorphosis,” says Daz McColl, chief marketing officer. “They have a chance to change, and they’re empowered by that.”

Proof of that, he tells Marketing Daily, comes from increases the Dallas-based retailer sees in content consumption, as consumers explore different looks, styles, options and brands. “They have real energy and passion about finding new ways to express who they are, through their fashion, their choices and the brands they choose.”

The video, directed by Anais Larocca, includes dancers and three of Neiman Marcus’ style advisors.

The 360-degree marketing campaign, created in-house,  also includes multimedia print and digital advertising, native content, social media and in-store visuals and events, many highlighting the 40 new brands it’s adding.

The company is also bringing back the seasonal editorial publication known as “The Book,” which features exclusive interviews with fashion luminaries Gabriella Hearst of Chloe and Virgil Abloh of Off- White and Louis Vuitton.

McColl says customers’ transformation mirrors changes happening at the company. “One of the things we’re striving to do all the time is build relationships with customers -- which is so important in a world that’s been socially disconnected,” he notes. We think of ourselves as a customer-centric ecosystem, so people can interact with us as it suits them, whether that’s through a relationship with a personal shopper or on Instagram.”

While the pandemic shook the apparel business like a snow globe, that’s especially true for luxury brands. Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy last summer and emerged from reorganization in the fall.

And as brick-and-mortar stores struggled, digital platforms soared, including companies like FarFetch, Rent the Runway and The RealReal.

The company says it intends to invest $500 million in digital and tech to compete better over the next three years. In June, it made its first such investment, buying

Stylyze, a Seattle-based, women-founded and -led technology company that uses machine learning to enrich the shopping experience.