Luxury-goods marketer Montblanc is hoping a handful of young, relatively unknown designers will provide the venerable brand with a hip element that increases its appeal with younger female consumers.
The designers--Jeffrey Costello, Jean Yu, Robert Tagliapietra and Doo-Ri Chung--are appearing in an ad campaign for the company's new jewelry line that will run this fall in
Vogue. Montblanc is
primarily known for its high-end pens, but the only trace of writing instruments in the new ads is the tagline: "Signature Style." Jan-Patrick Schmitz, the president of Montblanc North America, says
Montblanc wants to go from a functional writing instrument brand to a luxury and lifestyle brand. "We are not a fashion glamour brand," Schmitz says. "We are a brand which has very serious roots and a
very valued history." The company has been trying to develop a new image for more than a decade. Fifteen years ago, Montblanc was predominantly a brand for writing instruments. After introducing desk
accessories, it moved into cuff links, key rings and money clips in the mid-1990s. Last year, jewelry was added to the product line, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
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