Burberry CMO: "We Didn't Have the Luxury of Time"

"I did an internal crowdsource to invite everyone to submit their ideas about how they would like to celebrate 170 years. We've played around with a lot of cinematic narratives, but this time, I felt we should probably do something a little bit more institutional to reflect the anniversary year. The trench offered a way to celebrate a cornerstone of Burberry's past, while showing its relevance across generations and geographies."

"Kiman joined in September 2024, one of CEO Joshua Schulman's first hires since his appointment two months prior. Kiman joined from Gucci, where he was CMO from 2022, promoted from SVP of brand strategy and marketing, and before that, chief brand officer at Versace for over a year. He had used the crowdsourcing strategy in a previous role, so decided to try it out at Burberry when he learned brand founder Thomas Burberry had once invited the public to submit ideas."

Burberry commemorated its 170th anniversary with 'Portraits of an Icon,' a campaign featuring celebrities like Kate Moss, Kid Cudi, and Daisy Edgar-Jones photographed by Tim Walker. The campaign centers on the brand's signature trench coat and check print, accompanied by a playful video set to a Blur soundtrack. CMO Jonathan Kiman, who joined Burberry in September 2024 from Gucci, implemented an internal crowdsourcing strategy to gather employee ideas for the anniversary celebration. This approach mirrored founder Thomas Burberry's historical practice of inviting public submissions. From over 500 employee submissions, approximately 30 proposed a talent-led trench campaign. Kiman selected this concept to create an institutional celebration reflecting the trench's relevance across generations and geographies while making the anniversary inclusive and celebratory for all employees.

Read at Vogue