Lilly Pulitzer, the iconic American heritage brand, turned to PMG to help refresh the brand for a new generation of originals—sunny-spirited women of all ages and backgrounds. Known for its vibrant and rebellious spirit, inspired by their trailblazing founder, Lilly Pulitzer sought to reestablish the brand's relevancy with a new generation of originals. While still embracing its heritage, the brand sought to shift forward and reinforce Lilly Pulitzer as the ultimate destination for chic, elevated, high-fashion resort wear catering to today's sunny-spirited women of all ages and backgrounds. Our goal was to guide the brand in its leap into something new and revitalize its brand identity.
To make this transformation, Lilly Pulitzer needed to tap into new audiences and embrace a more inclusive narrative. We delved deep into understanding the current "Lilly Woman" and identified not only our aspirational audiences to expand towards but also formed the plan to bring the campaign to life through influencers most compelling to those audiences and, in turn, serve as the catalysts for rejuvenating the well-loved brand.
Our influencer content strategy had three pillars—Discover, Re-discover, and Inspire—and our insights-driven strategy was to leverage key social platforms like TikTok to shift consumer perception by showcasing fashion credibility, driving conversation, and igniting positive brand engagement.
In the first phase of the campaign, we joined forces with 13 TikTok-savvy creators considered Millennial and Gen Z tastemakers. Anna Kai and The Yusuf Sisters showcased Lilly Pulitzer's narrative and unique street style. The timeless appeal of Lilly Pulitzer was brought to life by Excuse My Grandma, a grandmother and granddaughter duo, proving Lilly’s relevance spans generations. Additionally, Taryn Delanie, a top comedic creator and former Miss New York, brought relatability and charm to the conversation. And Tinx added her magic touch, flaunting her ‘Top 3 Lilly Looks’ for her vacation, elevating Lilly Pulitzer's styling and fashion credibility among younger audiences.
The top performers were then reactivated as long-term brand ambassadors later in the year and complemented with additional campaign-based creators on TikTok and Instagram. A comprehensive paid amplification TikTok strategy backed all of these influencer efforts, strategically pulsing influencer creative over both phases of the campaign to drive maximum reach and awareness.
The diverse influencer-led campaign inspired a new generation, reignited Lilly Pulitzer’s brand identity, and set the stage for a vibrant and spirited future.
Our launch campaign on TikTok garnered over 70 million total impressions. Audience engagement and response were overwhelmingly positive, with 98% positive sentiment within comments on TikTok and Instagram. Their interest and enthusiasm for Lilly Pulitzer was evident in a brand lift study conducted with TikTok, measuring a 9.7% lift in ad recall, and a 42% jump in views of the #LillyPulitzer hashtag.
Overall, the campaign delivered more than 446k engagements across platforms, including the brand’s commerce site, and successfully helped Lilly Pulitzer embrace its rebellious spirit, inspire a new generation, and solidify its position as the ultimate destination for sunny-spirited originals.
