Week 3 EOC: Exercise

The Burberry brand has been around for a very long time. Thomas Burberry opened his first shop at the age of 21 in England in 1856. “A commitment to quality and innovation in fabric and outwear design earned Burberry a loyal following. By 1870, the shop had grown to an ‘emporium’.” – Burberry History www.burberry.com Burberry was and still is known for its trench coat which was first adopted by British officers during war in 1895 “Burberry developed the Tielocken, the predecessor of the trench coat, which was adopted by British officers during the Boer War.” The signature Burberry Checkered print was first introduced in the lining of the trench coats in the 1920’s

Looking at the advertisements that Burberry has had throughout their existence it is clear that the target market for the company has changed. When the trench was first introduced the ads were targeting military men and latter on in the 50’s the ads were targeted towards wealthy men wanting fitted suits. Today’s Burberry advertisements are targeting both men and women and are very fashion forward. The target market seems younger and trendier than in the past where even 10 years ago the though of a young person wearing Burberry seemed far fetched, it was thought of as the “old lady” brand. “by the 1990s the brand started to look like your grandmother’s pocketbook. Burberry turned to Rosemary Bravo (then President of Saks Fifth Avenue) to become Chief Executive Officer. Under Bravo’s watch the brand revamped, broadening its line further and surrendering to less conservative items like the Burberry bikini.” –Burberry Square by Diane O’Brien The brand stated “Since the arrival of a new management team, commencing in 1997, we have been repositioning the Burberry brand in line with its luxury heritage."