Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Extending the product through innovation
In 2008, Louis Vuitton created the first luxury digital product called the
Soundwalk. The product which exists in an entirely digital format for MP3
usage is based on an imaginative voyage of three Chinese cities through
voice narrations and sounds evoking the locations. Its aim was to stretch the
imagination of the listener by taking them through a journey of the senses
in the form of sound. The Soundwalk, whose inspiration came from the
brand's core heritage as a luxury luggage company, features a narrative of
Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing through the voices of three celebrated
Chinese actresses, Shu Qi, Gong Li and Joan Chen. The narratives transport
the users to the streets of the cities by reproducing their sounds and evoking
their atmosphere while firing the imagination through the soothing voices
and the ideal choice of words of the narrators. The sound guide is also fla-
vored with pieces of information about the three women's lives, dreams and
expectations that mesh into an interesting storyline. They also project inti-
mate insights into what it means to be a part of the Chinese culture. Through
these cosmopolitan cities, the narrator shares Louis Vuitton's philosophy of
travel as a form of discovery and enrichment, and brings both an intellectual
and entertaining dimension to the brand's qualities. Although the Soundwalk
follows a one-way communication approach, it allows the Louis Vuitton cli-
ent to make the experience personal by downloading the product in an MP3
format that may then be replayed at will. This not only entertains, but also
extends the time spent with the brand and subsequently enhances the rela-
tionship with the brand.
Through a step away from tangible products, the brand used the
Soundwalk to mark a turning point in the relationship between luxury and
technology in product extension. It also reintroduced the question that had
so far only been whispered in luxury circles - where will the line be drawn
between luxury and technology? Skeptics used the opportunity to pronounce
a death sentence for brands that had made technology their forte. These par-
ties share the viewpoint that luxury is only about the respect for tradition,
heritage and skill that is passed on from generation to generation, and noth-
ing more. Despite this outcry it wasn't long before another luxury brand,
Hermès, picked up the baton by developing the “Contre-Temps”, a digital
diary or assistant with multiple functions, based on the technology behind
the electronic paper, also known as e-paper.
The Hermès digital diary is designed as a pocket (or handbag) device and
could pass for anything from a hand-held digital assistant to a simple hard-drive.
It opens up through two opposing sliding doors and is based on the e-paper
technology and futuristic flexible OLED touch-screen. The diary also con-
tains a tactile interface, an electronic organizer, photo-sharing, email, GPS, a
transport waiter, RSS readers, Internet connection through wifi and several other
functions. It has been described as the ideal digital jewel for the modern
