Ray-Ban. Tom Cruise and Will Smith built their careers on the

brand. The Blues Brothers wouldn’t be the same without their

Wayfarers. Sonny Crockett? Same deal. Even Barack Obama is

known to always carry a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. Want to

hear a funny thing? Ray-Ban isn’t the American icon you thought

it was. Not anymore. Because in 1999 Bausch & Lomb sold the

brand for a reported 600 million dollars to Luxottica, an Italian

eyewear company based in Milan. And another thing: it’s done

the brand a world of good. Jochem Eijmers and Patricia Wiegman

of Luxottica Nederland tell us all about icons, love and the power

of less is more.

ShAdES Of SuCCESS

220

“The only thing the competition can do, is help us grow even bigger”

Eternal lifeRay-Ban’s fame was built by its two most famous models, the elegant Aviator

and the sturdy, thick-rimmed Wayfarer. Back in the days of old, the Aviator

was the go-to model for pilots, drivers and moviestars that needed protec-

tion from the glare of the outside world. Not only because they looked cool

as hell, but because they really kept the light out.

One problem a successful brand will encounter at one time or another is

that younger generations will start associating it with their parents or, even

worse, their grandparents. And that’s mostly a bad thing, as the future thrives

on leaving the past behind where it belongs, stuck in the rut of being old and

mouldy. Ray-Ban is no stranger to this problem, being genuine since 1937

and all. But how did Luxottica deal with the feared oldtimer syndrome and

come out even stronger for it?

The Italian jobLuxottica’s founder, Leonardo Del Vecchio, made a conscious choice not

to communicate the fact that Ray-Bans are now made in Northern Italy.

Watering down the brand’s strong American image would have rendered no

added value at all. When he bought Ray-Ban Del Vecchio decided to keep

silent for a while, and stopped all communication to think about what to do

with the brand. After the move to Italy was complete, Luxottica repositioned

and rebranded Ray-Ban to step back into the sun again. New and improved,

but as trustworthy as ever.

Del Vecchio changed one important thing about its new brand: distribu-

tion. Jochem: “Ray-Bans are no longer available everywhere in the Nether-

lands, but are only sold at opticians and De Bijenkorf. Simply because these

retailers know their business when it comes to glasses.” And the public

agrees, as sales are up ever since Ray-Ban disappeared from the dusty aisles

of gas stations and department stores.

Per i ragazzi e le ragazzeThe arrival of the new brand came with a history of full-on, all-American

marketing; a concept that the quality-minded Italians couldn’t quite grasp

at first. With the brand, it took Bausch & Lomb’s head of marketing back

home to smooth over the transition. Once inspired, the company moved to

swanky offices in Milan, the hip and happening city where all the cool brands

- including Luxottica’s licensed brands - set up shop. Ray-Ban has kept its own

marketing department, setting the course to keep the brand in the public

eye.

It still focuses on authenticity with the slogan ‘Genuine since 1937’, and

stears it mainstream instead of adding other attributes Luxottica could

easily boast. Leaning on the image of the Italian classic suit with sunglasses

or shouting from the rooftops that all glasses are handmade would only

dilute the message and alienate part of the audience. The brand’s strong

point is its large, broad target group that structurally guarantees sales

and growth. The secret to sweeping a field of that magnitude is simple: it’s

all about the people behind the glasses. While the product remained the

same, Ray-Ban started using models in the early-twenties range instead of

35-40-year olds. And presto! The desired demo of young cool people with

a considerable budget and the will to accessorize went with Ray-Ban. With

the same loyal enthusiasm their brand-ambassador parents still do.

Who needs a crystal ball anyway?For Ray-Ban quality reigns supreme over fleeting fads, exactly the reason why

the brand doesn’t aspire to be a trendsetter. It leaves the future-gazing to the

fashion houses, that in the last five years elevated the status of sunglasses

from functional to must-have accessory. To great acclaim from the public, by

the way. Because where fashionable fragrances and make-up go unseen, a

pair of name brand glasses is a reasonably affordable way to show the world

your excellent taste in brands. The eyewear industry is all applause as well;

people now will buy up to two pairs of glasses a year, as opposed to making

them last for several seasons.

Ray-Ban will follow a trend where it leads, but stays close to the source. And

ensure that the scene knows that the genuine source has been Ray-Ban since

1937, by nurturing its icon models through strategically planned campaigns

that help jump-start yet another Aviator or Wayfarer trend. Worldwide a

hype can last about five years max, but in the Netherlands trends have a lot

less staying power – three years is now the average lifespan. Ray-Ban isn’t

worried though. The brand has seven icon models at its disposal, to rotate

forever and ever. Just so you know: the Clubmaster is next.

Let the sun shine inExpanding its range to normal glasses – correction frames, as they’re called

in the industry – is another direction Ray-Ban is exploring right now. It never

really considered this market, as Ray-Ban made its business by banning rays,

not letting them in. But when research showed that the public was already

convinced that the brand had had correction frames in its catalogue for a

long time, Ray-Ban only needed to follow suit. And there you go.

Although the brand is very happy to have reached its target of getting its

premium-quality basic glasses to the end consumer, it refuses to kick back

and relax. Its print, TV and outdoor campaigns are unrivalled by the rest of

the industry and will have a long-term character, lasting about three years

to fully exploit their possibilities. But Ray-Ban can afford to be somewhat

whimsical about its promotions too, and chooses to let the public share in

the joys of having such a strong image. With special Ray-Ban Days at retailers

and other events it will continue loading the brand with genuine love. And

if you thought that the Americans know what loving is, you haven’t met the

Italians. Bellissima!

Roots & story of the brandLeonardo Del Vecchio started Luxottica from his own home, slowly expan-

ding until about 90 percent of his hometown Agordo, a few clicks north of

Venice, worked in his factory. Del Vecchio abhorred the American 24-hour

economy, and put family first always. That’s why he insisted that workers in

the same families were dealt the same shifts to give them a chance to eat

dinner together. In Italy it’s still that way. It hasn’t influenced Luxottica’s

success in the least. Currently the company has nine factories; two are in

China, seven in Italy. Luxottica produces eyewear for all brands it carries,

like Oakley, Persol and Arnette, to name a few. Apart from its own brands,

it’s also licensed to sell designer glasses with names like Prada, Chanel,

Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY and Polo Ralph Lauren.

In the Netherlands Luxottica has eighteen brands, of which Ray-Ban is the

biggest by far. Luxottica’s glasses are all made to order, by hand. The company

doesn’t have downweighing supplies but produces about 150 pairs of one

model and sees where it takes off from there. That doesn’t make Ray-Ban

glasses expensive; on the contrary. As far as affordable quality eyewear goes,

Ray-Ban is one of your best bets on the market.

CEO Andrea Guerra | Number of employees 55,000 | Company revenues

€6b | Brand promise Never Hide | Brand values Genuine and timeless | Main

target group 25-50-year olds; 70% men, 30% women | Primary advertising

media Integrated campaign; TV, print, outdoor and online

Coolbrands: C

arolin

e in d

iscussio

n w

ith J

ochem E

ijmers a

nd P

atric

ia W

iegman

221

222