24/08/2026
Building on Existing Stories
In January 2023, Miley Cyrus released the song ‘Flowers’. The song broke streaming records, and Miley Cyrus won Record of the Year as well as Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys.
At its core, Flowers is a song about self-empowerment, self-worth, and independence. It reminds the listener that you do not need to wait to be celebrated or loved by someone else; you can do these things for yourself.
Many brands seeking to promote these ideas adopt the traditional route of creating taglines and slogans as part of an advertising campaign. Gucci took a different approach. They built on the story Miley Cyrus, their Flora perfume ambassador, had begun telling to produce a campaign reminiscent of her music video, using the song Flowers as the soundtrack.
Gucci recognised that Flowers already communicated many of the ideas and feelings it wanted associated with its perfume. The luxury brand adopted a song that already resonated with millions of people and allowed it to do much of the storytelling. The only dialogue in the campaign comes at the end, when the perfume is introduced. The campaign suggests that self-empowerment, self-celebration and even luxury items are things you can gift yourself. You do not have to wait for others to do so.
A brand can authentically leverage the stories of its ambassadors and partners to shape brand perception and promote a brand image. Gucci seized an opportunity to continue telling a story its partner had organically created, allowing it to reach an audience who loved the song and identified with its message.
Alder Consulting is a creative intelligence company. We help brands tell authentic and compelling stories through brand partnerships. Speak to us today.
