The return of Balenciaga's campaign of ironies, ‘It's Different’

The Spanish luxury house Balenciaga’s trailblazing campaign has made its comeback, and it must be said: ‘It’s (just as) Different’ as before, and unquestionably unique. Essentially, what the campaign does is present the House’s much-adored shapes and recent pieces alongside humorous taglines, achieving two things – seizing our attention while accenting the House’s new subdued identity. With a debut during Balenciaga’s previous Fall/Winter season, the successful campaign reprises its role this Spring/Summer as the brand’s all-special campaign that stands out amongst its seasonal collections.

Unveiled two days ago, the second wave of this series features a stunning array of pieces from the ever-evolving design. Think, bags, accessories and shoes of exaggerated proportions, melded archetypes, key shapes of Balenciaga and designs that deceive the eye, all masterfully captured against a stark white backcloth. This clever context of presentation make these coveted pieces appear like transcendent objects; staring at them becomes even more irresistible now.

The assortment of items include the Rodeo bag and its ornamented sibling variant, the Collector Rodeo, the expressive Biker Over-The-Knee boot, and the motley mixed berries-print Antwerp Tote. The line also features the quirkily distressed Sock-On-Heel, the Hotel Mule-On-Heel in embroidered indigo terrycloth, the trim knee-high Hourglass Boot, the Boudoir Mule in a winsome pink shade, the Cargo Sneaker gilded with silver and gold strokes, and the avant-garde wraparound 5G Sunglasses.

The campaign campaign flaunts highly detailed images in an enlarged scale paired with satirical catchphrases that have been carefully selected for each product – “Food for thought,” “Do not disturb”, “No comment”, “Vroooom” are just some of the wordings displayed.

Whatever it is that Balenciaga sought to achieve through its pared-back approach to design and advertising, the House has gone and done exactly that. Grounded in the exclusivity of its products, the ‘It’s Different’ campaign hinges on strong visuals and interesting language to leave a (very) lasting impression.