Women’s fashion brand Kate Spade’s Holiday 2014 video features Hollywood celebrity Anna Kendrick in the brand’s online series that follows the misadventures of the madcap heroine. In the pilot episode of the series, she is shown waiting for the locksmith on the stoop of her Manhattan brownstone apartment, a trope that is rooted in New York symbolism.
The video uses an engaging method of storytelling, making the main character highly relatable to the audience. As she returns home with shopping bags and finds she is locked out of her apartment and waits for the locksmith, she kills time by trying on outfits from her shopping bags, playing with her pet dog, chatting over the phone, and taking selfies. Finally, when the locksmith still doesn’t show up, she ties together some clothes and uses the fire escape of her apartment to let herself in. All these actions are presented in a remarkably relatable manner, connecting emotionally with the viewers. The writing is sharp and approachable, in a friendly and conversant tone, executed brilliantly by Anna Kendrick: she makes the brand instantly personable and likeable.
Great attention is paid to detail, from the outfit and accessories, to the setting of the apartment building and the décor around it. Everything indicates that it is holiday time in New York City, something that is relevant since Kate Spade is a brand founded in New York. The branding is also kept to a minimum, visible only on the shopping bags and a small symbol on the bottom right corner of the video. The background score of the advert is fun and catchy, and keeps up the rhythm of the activity taking place on film.
Overall, the video is entertaining and accurately represents the Kate Spade brand. It engages with the audience and connects with them emotionally, while also telling a story.
"The Waiting Game" is a clever commercial video.
