Tag Heuer’s chief executive Frédéric Arnault aims to grow the luxury watch brand into a $1 billion company. And with its latest multimillion-dollar advertising campaign featuring brand ambassador Ryan Gosling, it already has the mindset of a billion-dollar brand.
The LVMH-owned Swiss company, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, has been under the direction of Arnault since the summer of 2020. He sees the brand as being “a marriage” between watchmaking history, iconic design and innovation, while reflecting the speed of sports such as motor racing, tennis and golf.
“We were one of the first brands to really care about branding, beyond watchmaking,” Arnault told Adweek. “And with very strong values around the notion of performance of sports, but not any sports—those of speed, racing and the notion of timing, because we were the leaders in stopwatches, and the timing chronograph is still something that’s very core and important to us.”
The new action-packed campaign features La La Land actor Ryan Gosling being chased because he is unwilling to hand back the Tag Heuer watch he’d been wearing on set. A high speed multi-vehicle car chase ensues.
The ad was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Tag Heuer Carrera range, with the 5 minute-plus film featuring several Easter eggs referencing the brand’s heritage. They include the hotel featured at the beginning being named after Carrera creator and longtime influential CEO Jack Heuer’s wife, Leonarda.
Created by DDB Paris, the highly self-aware film is all about speed, featuring various vehicles being driven by the prop master trying to catch up with Gosling as he aims to get away with his prized possession. Its writing is smart and knowing, but it’s also an ad filled with charm rather than potential smugness.
And while it is a luxury brand in every aspect, Arnault sees Tag Heuer as being “accessible to everyone,” which the film attempts to convey.
We’re seeing a strong dynamic, strong growth in all the key markets in the world and a growing desirability for our watches.
Frédéric Arnault, CEO, Tag Heuer
“We are the entry into the luxury world for so many people. … We are very open, accessible brands. It’s always this balance between exclusivity because we’re all luxury brands, but with social acceptance.”
The campaign will be distributed globally, with the main film living on the brand’s YouTube channel and website, while shorter edits will feature across social media and cinemas.
Brand partners and ambassadors
Gosling is the latest in a long line of movie stars who have been the face of Tag Heuer, including Brad Pitt, Steve McQueen (albeit posthumously), Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman and Chris Hemsworth. There is also a roster of sports and music ambassadors too, which helps add international allure.
Gosling’s deal has also seen him wear the brand during his day job, including in last year’s Netflix release The Gray Man. Tag Heuer watches have also appeared in blockbuster movies such as The Amazing Spiderman 2, Die Hard 2, Inception and Jack Reacher. That is why the latest ad involves a prop master, to reflect its product placement heritage.
“It’s very important that people see the watches worn in situations,” Arnault said. “That is where you can see the spirit of the watch and the brand depending on what type of movie it is in and who is wearing it.”
That strategy will continue with Gosling’s next role, playing Ken in the Barbie movie. “The watches have a very special role in the movie, and we are very excited about that,” revealed Arnault.
As well as film and sports stars, Tag Heuer also has some perhaps unexpected brand partnerships with the likes of Gulf Oil, Nintendo and Porsche. The carmaker fits within the brand’s ties to motor racing, while Nintendo’s Mario Kart game continues that theme in the video gaming space.
“Because we’ve been doing it for such a long time, we are so well known for operating in motorsports we can afford also to play with Mario Kart, which can seem disruptive and very different and playful,” Arnault noted.
Gulf, meanwhile, also has a rich association with motorsports, and a Tag Heuer watch was worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans, in which he drove a Porsche 917K featuring the Gulf logo on the side. It’s no coincidence.
A billion-dollar vision
Tag Heuer currently generates more than $600 million annually. But Arnault believes the brand can grow beyond the $1 billion barrier in the coming years despite current economic difficulties through its brand strength and worldwide awareness, in addition to further “untapped” potential.
“We’re seeing a strong dynamic, strong growth, in all the key markets in the world and a growing desirability for our watches,” he continued, adding that the brand started a waitlist for buyers seeking secondhand watches a year and a half ago. “And all of our launches, we’re seeing great success. So it gives us confidence in growing the brand faster and further.”
