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Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

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September 2017


The daring pop icon joins forces with the luxury Swiss watchmaker to add a bit of edge to its #BornToDare campaign. But does the partnership make sense?

Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

Earlier this year, the marketing department for Tudor launched a new campaign with the “Born To Dare” motto. It is meant to add a bit of excitement to one of the elder statesmen of Swiss watchmaking.

It is also meant to reflect both the history of the brand and what it stands for today. Indeed, the founder of Rolex and its subsidiary Tudor, Hans Wilsdorf, always saw the watches as ones to withstand the most extreme conditions.

More importantly, the watches were meant to come in at a lower price point than the cousin watches bearing the iconic crown logo. And that’s why I have always viewed Tudor as a more modest version of Rolex.

Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

And that’s why the announcement that the pop star is the latest brand ambassador for Tudor didn’t seem to vibe with me immediately. Lady Gaga is not exactly all about modesty. Among the most daring things she has done – at least publicly - has been in terms of her outfit choices.

Yes, Gaga has provocative style, and she has made some provocative political statements. She is all about putting on a show. But good news is that it’s not all flash and no substance - her extreme style is backed up by her amazing singing and inspiring performance skills. Perhaps there’s where Tudor’s reliability comes in?

Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

She also stands out with her charity work. Raising awareness and money for natural disasters, championing the fight against fur, and advocating for the rights of the LGBT community. To top it all off, her Born This Way foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder world. Rolex, too, is known for its charitable work.

All considered, then, Gaga knows that every social cause and every outfit and accessory she chooses is a way to shape her image. The same goes for brands choosing their ambassadors.

Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

Now, part of the Gaga image is Tudor. The pop star wears the Tudor Black Bay, one of the brand’s flagship lines. The 41-mm automatic diving watch is the perfect expression of a versatile and highly functional mechanical timepiece.

Would I call it a daring timepiece? Not exactly. Tudor is known for its quality watches across all of its lines, and more recently it has been receiving praise for its classic, and vintage-inspired models. Not out of the box by any means.

Tudor taps Lady Gaga for new brand ambassador

In a way, the Black Ray sported by Lady Gaga is perhaps the least daring thing about her image. It is a quality Swiss made timepiece that is modest and will never look out of place, weather out for the weekend or out on the town in the evening.

Lady Gaga and her style choices, however, are made specifically to stand out, to look out of place. If she partnered with a bolder brand like HYT, for example, I wouldn’t be surprised. But the Tudor-Gaga partnership is telling – it shows us that the pop star is not all about showmanship, but that she also knows what makes business sense.