“all for one” marketing strategies through the lens of pluto in aquarius

transit: pluto in aquarius

timing: march 23 - june 11, 2023;

january 20 - september 1, 2024;

november 19, 2024 - march 8, 2043

august 31, 2043 - january 19, 2044

themes: slow, life-changing transformation especially related to ideological shifts, technology, systems of power, + the collective

much has been said about the high-contrast binary of the denim campaigns released by american eagle + GAP this summer; the sardonically sexy narrative featuring sydney sweeney versus the of-the-moment yet nostalgic KATSEYE dance break.

a singular focus versus an evolving plane of possibilities. 

a tone of “the standard” versus an invitation to join “the collective.”

as pluto finally firmly anchors in aquarius - slowly transiting the sign through 2044 - there is a call to the power of the people, to recognize + right imbalance and truly find good for all. 

if pluto’s previous path through capricorn (from 2008 until now, with a few retrogrades) highlighted where we can become slighted by the systems that be, to make us feel helpless + small compared to the empires, then its aquarian transit asks us to come together and find the strength + power of the collective. 

the purpose of marketing is multi-faceted: to capitalize on equal parts owning brand identity, creating clever displays of merchandise assortments, and inviting an audience to participate in its community and exchange.

as we move through this transit, the most successful strategies that we’ll see from brands that turn into positive engagement + foster true brand loyalty will move from a narrative of authority to one of inclusion. 

rather than “be this,” the invitation is “join us.”

rather than “this is how it is,” it suggests “this is how it could be” while also asking: “how would you do it?”

aquarius loves to question convention. 

as much as it is committed to empowering community, within the group it also needs to express its individuality + unique perspective. 

this transit will be a slow transformation of how we see brands approach product marketing in ways that appeal to a sense of collective desire and/or necessity while also maintaining the end consumer’s sense of self.

that is not to say that we won’t see campaigns that continue to draw from strategies more aligned with the capricorn transit. 

more “traditional” ways of presenting product or announcing launches, straightforward, aligned with celebrity collaboration (“buy this because they like it”), lacking diversity, cut + paste repeated formatting from previous seasons; for those that lack the unconventionality that pluto in aquarius asks for, this will be a difficult transition. 

and, to be honest: those campaigns will land with a thud. 

take for example, the very different responses to the aforementioned denim campaigns. 

why did one draw such immediate vitriol from the collective, and the other, resounding joy?

from a marketing perspective, the return to social dance-driven video spots, paired with clean and simple studio stills, signals immediately to the consumer which brand is being presented to them; this is a recognizable and winning GAP formula. From there, the nuance of creating an environment that not only captures joy, community, and of-the-moment resonance (hello, KATSEYE) as well as nostalgia (hello, Kelis) are the attributes that make GAP a brand. yes, it may be more basic casuals, but clearly, they are styles that are for everyone; a brand that asks us to enjoy and express ourselves as a collective, to celebrate the past while living in the present.

the purpose of a campaign is not just to create brand recognition + loyalty in the long run, but also to actually sell the clothes in the present. these spots exemplify the joy of being in community while at the same time effectively giving a preview of dozens of styles, fits, washes available in the collection that season; proof you can have an agenda to sell without invalidating the diversity of the human experience. 

imagine then, in sharp comparison, the fixation that the controversial american eagle ad asks you to hold on sydney sweeney. the viewer sees an extremely specific styled look; the language is delivered in a sardonic tone, and the camera pans are tight. AE silently implores alignment; suggests sweeney is the archetype, the aspiration of "good genes/jeans." there is no room for discussion, no joy, no alternate offer; the singularity of a message to agree and fall in line, to "buy" in.

it will be especially curious to watch how the disparate approach in this example translates to seasonal sales, inform the direction of next season’s campaigns, + ultimately, create interest around the potential power of conscious consumerism. 

how will the collective shape how brands market going forward? will we see more influence coming from the intentions of the people versus the authority of the brand? the slow + intentional pluto suggests we have years of transformation ahead, and that what we’ve known will ever be the same.