It's been nearly nine years since Romeo Beckham's second ever modelling campaign with Burberry made headlines. The short ad film, which was also the brand's first Christmas campaign, managed to cement the rebrand Burberry had been working towards in the early part of the 2010s. Now an iconic landmark in Burberry's history, this ad has become a hallmark of luxury Christmas commercials.
Burberry has a long history with luxury and the aristocracy. Having been the brand of choice for the upperclass sportsman up until the 90s, the brand represented a higher-end lifestyle for many decades. The 90s and early 2000s, however, saw the unregulated licensing of Burberry's iconic check pattern across all levels of retail, delegitimizing the brand's claim to luxury. By the early years of the 2010s, the brand had regained control of its licensing and was on a mission to rebrand.
Beckham's ad campaign had a significant hand in regaining prestige. The glittering gold, classic trench coats and of course, the Burberry check print scarf all starred as signifiers to the brand's revival. Once again, the power of campaigns to create identity for a brand was successfully used.