Louis Vuitton ads banned for feigning hand-stitching
27/05/2010
In the first ad, there is a photograph of a woman stitching the handle of a leather handbag. There is text underneath stating: "The seamstress with linen thread and beeswax. A needle, linen thread, beeswax and infinite patience protect each overstitch from humidity and the passage of time. One could say that a Louis Vuitton bag is a collection of details. But with so much attention lavished on every one, should we only call them details?"
The second ad features a photograph of a woman creating the folds of a wallet. The text this time reads: "The young woman and the tiny folds. In everything from Louis Vuitton, there are elements that cannot be fully explained. What secret little gestures do our craftsmen discretely pass on? How do we blend innate skill and inherent prowess? Or how can five tiny folds lengthen the life of a wallet? Let's allow these mysteries to hang in the air. Time will provide the answers".
Three complainants said the ads were misleading because they implied that the leathergoods were made by hand.
The company's UK division said in response that the images in the ads were a homage to the craftsmanship which was carried out every day by Louis Vuitton's artisans and that the images, although stylised, accurately reflected what took place in its workshops. It added that the models were instructed on technique and posture by Louis Vuitton artisans during the photo shoots to ensure accuracy.
The company said it had 200 employees working on different aspects of its products in each workshop and explained that there were more than 100 stages of production for each individual leather bag and wallet. It insisted that its manufacturing is not automated, that hand sewing machines were used for some aspects of items because they were more secure and necessary for strength, accuracy and durability. The brand said it believed that the use of hand sewing machines and the associated tasks were part and parcel of what would be expected to amount to "handmade" in the twenty-first century.
However, the Advertising Standards Agency's conclusion was that the Louis Vuitton response had not supplied evidence of the extent to which its products were made by hand. "We concluded that the ads were misleading," it said.
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