The “New Year, New You” mantra is a powerful motivator every January that sends people to the gym, library, and drugstore dental hygiene department.
But for fashion brands, it’s a marketing opportunity. Activewear and luxury brands used the New Year’s resolutions in late December and early January in campaigns, capitalizing on the desire to refresh their wardrobes and establish new active habits.
Luxury activewear brand Losano, for example, has been running an email campaign for the past two weeks with the subject line “New Year, New You.” The emails highlight a matching leggings and sports bra set, along with images of celebrity ambassadors including Jordin Sparks and Maria Menounos wearing the styles. Activewear brand and retailer Bandier’s website features a big “It’s your year, it’s your fitness” message on the front page.
Similarly upscale activewear brand Forme capitalized on the new year by focusing on their clothing’s alleged ability to help with correct posture. For a post on Instagram, where Forme has more than 20,000 followers, the brand collected numerous tweets and Instagram posts from users complaining about their poor posture and coupled them with a site-wide 20% discount and encouragement to live their lives to change in the New Year.
“New Year’s resolutions provide a great opportunity for everyday people to set goals to better themselves,” said Seiji Liu, co-founder and COO of Forme. “It’s time to lay the right foundation for your health and well-being.”
Forme has been around since 2018, doubling its sales every year and usually making New Year’s resolutions a part of its marketing strategy during the months of December and January. It uses Instagram posts and paid ads, as well as customer emails.
But not all New Year’s Eve promotions were focused on fitness or wellness. Ivy Cove, an accessory brand, presents itself as the perfect tool for a different solution: being better for the environment.
Ivy Cove’s New Year’s email campaign focused on the sustainability of its products, the renewable aspect of its materials, and the certifications each part of its supply chain holds. “If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to buy sustainable brands (besides, you’re a kind person!), you’ve come to the right place,” reads the ad copy. The same message was used in the brand’s paid and organic Instagram marketing in January.
According to a rep for the brand, email open rates for the New Year’s email campaign saw an increase compared to the December emails, although they couldn’t provide exact numbers.
And while some brands have rejected the New Year’s resolution Marketing this year, Ivy Moliver, founder of Ivy Cove, said it can still be a powerful marketing tool. For them, it’s a way to shape their brand’s products as emerging, life-changing tools and play to the brand’s strengths.
“For us, it’s about education and awareness,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for ordinary people to set goals to better themselves and be better for the planet, and it works perfectly for us.”
