#CiaoKendall – Kendall Jenner x RESERVED – AW19 campaign - Ad Analysis

This campaign for Reserved is a bold declaration of intent. For a Polish fast-fashion brand looking to expand its footprint and credibility, particularly in Western markets, simply showing nice clothes isn't enough. The '#CiaoKendall' film is a calculated exercise in brand building that leverages celebrity, high-concept artistry, and cultural nostalgia to construct a new identity for Reserved—one that is less about accessible fashion and more about fashion as art.

The Core Insight here is that the modern consumer, particularly the fashion-literate Millennial or Gen Z shopper, sees clothing as a tool for identity construction. The ad leans into the idea that a woman contains multitudes—a classic diva, a romantic, a quirky dancer, a mythical creature. Fashion isn't just about looking good; it's about embodying a fantasy. This insight gives the creative team license to abandon linear narrative and instead present a series of captivating, dreamlike vignettes.

The Execution follows a two-act structure, a tale of two moods defined by its music. The first act, set to Shirley Bassey's '(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story,' is pure European art-house cinema. Director Gordon von Steiner crafts a world of languid, surreal beauty. Kendall Jenner isn't just a model; she's a chameleon, moving through opulent, slightly decaying rooms that feel pulled from a Fellini or Antonioni film. This section establishes a mood of sophisticated, nostalgic glamour. The second act shatters this calm. The abrupt switch to Raffaella Carrà's 'Rumore' is a jolt of chaotic energy. The setting becomes a stark, modern space where Kendall leads a bizarre, expressive dance. This sudden shift from melancholic beauty to frenetic joy mirrors the campaign's core idea: that one can transform instantly from one persona to another. The ad is less a story and more a visual poem, ending on the ultimate fantasy transformation: Kendall as a mermaid, a striking final image that encapsulates the campaign's surrealist ambitions.

The Debrief for the team is a lesson in the power of brand mythology. This campaign will likely do more for Reserved's image than a dozen traditional, product-focused ads. It generated conversation and press precisely because it was so audacious for a brand in its category. [6] The key learning is that for a challenger brand, being memorable is more important than being clear. The risk, however, is creating a piece of work so artistic that it alienates the core customer or fails to connect back to the tangible product. The team successfully created a 'halo' of cool around the brand, but the long-term challenge is ensuring that halo translates into sales without diluting the artistic vision that made the brand stand out in the first place.