In the spring of 2018, music and fashion icon, Rihanna embarked on a new venture to create a line of intimates that complements a variety of shades and shapes. Partnered with e-commerce company - TechStyle Fashion Group, the goal was to disrupt and redefine the industry while creating an array of products that were accessible to all.
Savage X Fenty emerged in May 2018 with a social-first campaign - primarily driven on Instagram. Using Rihanna's robust social influence at the forefront, the brand made its debut with a pre-launch tease strategy that stirred up noise and generated tons of engagement and impressions.
The launch strategy centered on creating an air of mystery and intrigue around the brand. The team crafted a focused tease strategy on Instagram that started one month prior to launch, with an ambiguous post shared by Rihanna (@badgalriri). The post read, 'Didn't they tell you?' with the infamous static tv image featuring an unrecognizable photo of Rihanna wearing the product. Speculation grew rapidly as fans were attempting to put the pieces together as to what the music and fashion powerhouse was up to.
Rihanna then followed the verified @savagexfenty Instagram account which had no profile photo, content, followers, bio, or link in bio and was following just one account (@badgalriri). It was an effective and relevant way to begin bringing the brand to life and build anticipation for the big reveal. It didn't take fans much time to complete the lyrics to her popular song, 'Needed Me' that refers to the icon as a 'Savage,' and discover the verified Savage X Instagram Account and follow in anticipation.
A series of small clues and branded reveals continued from there, leading up to National Lingerie Day – which was coined #NationalLingeRIHDay and known as Rihanna's big announcement of her lingerie brand and the launch date. The team was very thoughtful in using shareworthy content, intriguing captions, and the use of hashtags and Instagram Stories to tell the brand story and keep the audience engaged daily on the platform.
The team did not stop there and continued to develop the story for the brand launch, with Rihanna leading the way.
The pre-launch tease lead to large volumes of conversation and excited speculation on social media, along with the @savagexfenty Instagram account reaching 17,000 followers in 24 hours with zero content to speak of and an account completely devoid of information.
In addition to generating thousands of followers within days of launching the Instagram Account, Savage X Fenty can take credit for millions of engagements and impressions, countless shares, and video and story views.
Because of the strategic and inventive use of the Instagram platform with its pre-launch campaign and continued team efforts, from impressive PR to unique marketing tactics, Savage X Fenty hit 1M+ followers on Instagram in 5 months of launching.
