When Brands Go On Holiday It’s officially holiday season. And brands have packed their bags too. Branded beach clubs and luxury pop-ups are cropping up across summer destinations, turning travel into a new kind of storytelling opportunity.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING. Brands That Travel With Us

You’re not the only one heading to an island in the Mediterranean, or plotting a remote escape with better views than Wi-Fi. Luxury brands are coming with us, capitalising on our collective craving for sun, sea, and soft-focused summer memories.

No one’s doing it quite like Jacquemus. The brand has always been fluent in the language of Mediterranean fantasy - white linen, terracotta tones, salted skin, and surrealist minimalism - but this summer, it’s gone above and beyond.

It started in May, with the redesign of Ibiza’s buzzy Jondal beach club in this year’s viral shade: butter yellow; soft and warm like late afternoon sun. Then came a Wes Anderson-inspired campaign to announce the opening of two summer stores and another branded beach club in Monte-Carlo, for those who prefer spending their summer in the French Riviera. And finally, a full takeover of Nammos in Mykonos, this time in crisp white and Aegean blue; a colour story that mirrors both the island and the Jacquemus palette.

Wherever you go this summer, Jacquemus is already there. Ready to welcome you, and waiting to be tagged.

And yes, everyone’s doing it. From Missoni to Prada to Dolce & Gabbana, luxury houses have embraced branded summer takeover: beach clubs, pop-ups, influencer dinners. But Jacquemus stands apart - not because it was first, but because it does it best. Every activation fits seamlessly into its brand mythology. This isn’t just marketing; it’s world building. The beach clubs aren’t just a tool to drive word of mouth: they’re portals into the Jacquemus lifestyle. The story is clear - this is a brand born in the South of France, rooted in the Mediterranean beauty and way of life.

Quick Commercial Break. Want to travel further into the Jacquemus world? Check out my guide to Jacquemus’ South of France. Not just an exclusive guide, but a way to experience the brand through the places that shaped it.

Meanwhile, Thom Browne is off on his own kind of summer getaway: less sunbathing, more school trip.

In a brilliant twist on the traditional influencer trip, Thom Browne has been inviting friends of the brand on curated “field trips” that blur the line between marketing, memory, and editorial. Fully dressed in signature grey wool, they visit places like Le Grand Véfour in Paris or spend a riverside day in Richmond, England. Looking less like influencers, and more like impeccably tailored prep school kids on a very chic excursion.

This isn’t new for the brand. Back in 2019, it staged a Thanksgiving football game in Central Park, where participants (divided into Team Navy and Team Grey) looked as if private-school ritual had been restyled for the runway.

And just like with Jacquemus, it’s the consistency that makes it stick. These aren’t just influencer getaways with nice meals and photo ops.** They’re fully committed scenes from a brand universe: ritualised, repeatable, and unmistakably Thom Browne.**

Everyone’s doing travel activations now, but not everyone’s doing them well. What separates a forgettable marketing stunt from a meaningful brand story is coherence. A clear point of view. And a narrative that holds.

So what can we learn from the brands doing it right? Read on.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE. Travel, But Make It Strategy

We’re living in the era of experiences. According to Kantar, 56% of Millennials and Gen Z globally say they’re prioritising experiences over material possessions. For brands, that means experiences aren’t just a nice addition to the strategy: they are the strategy.

But putting a logo on a sun lounger or a beach umbrella isn’t enough. The experience has to feel aligned; conceptually, emotionally, and aesthetically. It has to mean something. Otherwise, it’s just another forgettable backdrop with poor ROI.

And sometimes, a beach should just be a beach. But when it works, it really does – and physical presence turns into brand equity.

Jacquemus – Effective Storytelling Rooted In A Strong Sense of Place

Jacquemus has always sold more than clothes. He sells a world, a feeling, a vision – where summer is eternal, butter and lavender are colours, and the Mediterranean is always within reach.

This kind of storytelling works because every detail pulls you into a cohesive universe. One that feels poetic, playful, and maybe even a little surreal.

For Jacquemus, summer is not a season – it’s a feeling. And now, this feeling is turned into brand strategy.

Pop-ups in Ibiza, Mykonos, and Monte-Carlo don’t just drive foot traffic: they make the Jacquemus fantasy tangible. Suddenly, the brand’s lifestyle is something you can touch. It’s experiential marketing, crossed with aspirational escapism.

What makes it work isn’t the location alone, it’s the narrative consistency: from the butter yellow beach umbrellas to the Aegean blue stripes in Mykonos, everything points back to the same world. A world that is romantic, cinematic, and unmistakably Jacquemus. A world that you want to escape to, and more importantly, belong to.

Read the full article https://whyyoushouldcare.substack.com/p/when-brands-go-on-holiday