Singing in the rain and dancing in the street brings Burberry bang up to date

The Big Idea

Burberry’s new holiday campaign is a modern twist on the classic Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain”.

Choreographed by (La) Horde, the Burberry-clad dancers take a standard stroll with friends and propel that walk to cultural stardom by expressing, in the words of chief creative officer Ricardo Tisci, “fearless spirit and imagination when pushing boundaries”.

What They Did

They dance in the street. Well, not just that.

The Review

The group dance-off brings an urban edginess, with falling ice blocks added throughout the dance piece, as a nod to global warming.

The dance collective campaign follows a number of partnerships Burberry has created, including one with Marcus Rashford and others with charitable organisations that support young people and the next generation.

Social good whilst expressing yourself in the way you want - and wearing Burberry of course.

All dressed up in the newest collection, the idea came from the heritage of the brand, where founder, Thomas Burberry, created weatherproof outerwear used by arctic explorers. Another link back to the falling ice.

Fighting against the elements, the characters are not afraid to head outside despite the warning from the shopkeeper about an incoming storm, nodding to the performance of the new collection, and where it originated from.

The CGI ice falling keeps the energy high as the dancers dodge, weave, and interact with the blocks of ice. Does the CGI become a bit much? Maybe. Does it end up becoming the focus? Potentially. Does it detract from the pace of the spot? No. So in that respect, it’s done its job perfectly and looks great whilst doing it.

This spot takes an iconic British brand and makes it feel relevant to the target audience.

But it's an audience that lives to express themselves and this is a statement through fashion and dance, where the brand remains loyal to its roots but has an eye on the future.

Burberry expresses itself as a brand with an updated vision, whilst retaining its D.N.A.

The escapism of the everyday scenes with the gaming references power-punching the ice away shows that the brand truly understands its target audience, and is what makes the spot entertaining all the way through. Despite being so surreal, it also feels oddly true to life. Specifically true to London - the vibe is less aspirational and more authentic. It feels almost possible, steeped in culture.

So, to the ending. Suddenly we go from Petticoat Lane in London to a beach in Lowestoft. The question is, why?

That bit I’m not too clear on, is it a representation of a fresh start? Essentially the concept embodies a sense of freedom and floating out to sea I guess represents this.

Either way, we see the giant ice cubes continue to fall, a nod to rising sea levels perhaps? No end line, just the Burberry logo appearing over the scene.

Hegarty once said “Advertising is 80% idea and 80% execution” and for me, this saying works perfectly for this ad. The execution is so beautifully shot, almost seamless, with less than ten visible cuts (I think), which keeps the energy high throughout the full two minutes, but it has a few elements left for the viewer to interpret in their own way.

Overall it's superbly executed. Proving perhaps that keeping current, walking the talk, and retaining your values should ensure authentic style doesn’t go out of fashion.