We didn’t know how to pronounce it either…

LOEWE (pronounced “lo-weh-vey” as it is now abundantly clear) is decidedly off-centre and risk-friendly for a company in its ultra-competitive, image-conscious sector.

But a playful new advert (written by Schitt’s Creek co-creator and actor Dan Levy) from the brand is in keeping with the formula behind its longevity.

The short film style offering, entitled ‘Decades of Confusion’ sees Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy, known for their roles in ‘Happiest Season’ team up once again. The advert sees Plaza's character struggle with spelling the brand name, adding a comedic twist to the narrative.

Directed by Ally Pankiw, renowned for her work on ‘Black Mirror’, and written by Dan Levy, the short film features Plaza as a contestant in a unique spelling bee that traverses the decades from 1971 to the present. Levy, meanwhile, takes on the role of the exasperated judge.

Despite Plaza's character's inability to spell "Loewe", she succeeds in elegantly showcasing outfits from the fashion house, drawing from its archives to embody various personas from the '70s, '80s, '90s, and beyond.

With the tagline "Wigs, iconic looks from the LOEWE archive, and wrong answers - from 1971 to present day", the short promises a blend of fashion and humour spanning different eras.

Our take

Nowadays, mentioning that a brand has embraced social media, playfulness and self-deprecation is hardly revolutionary. In the high fashion industry, however, this strategy makes LOEWE something of an outlier.

The brand’s offbeat approach to social media was demonstrated when model Sofia Richie's husband Elliot Grainge roasted her pair of $2,700 Loewe bedazzled boots, stating: 'It looks like a rich duck would wear that. A very rich duck that has other ducks quack for them’. In response, LOEWE posted this:

Recent campaigns for GUCCI show the contrast that typifies the self-serious, aspirational fashion landscape. LOEWE on the other hand, plays up its obscure pronunciation and zany leanings.

Key to Decades of Confusion’s success is Plaza's versatility as an actor. Known for her diverse roles (our favourite being a morally complex hotel visitor in ‘The White Lotus’), Plaza has previously spoken about the challenges of being typecast and her determination to break free from such constraints.

Plaza’s comic timing, character acting and deadpan stylings are on full display here, making her a bold, but uniquely ‘LOEWE’ choice. The fact that she effortlessly rocks the brand’s iconic outfits from times past also plays in the brand’s favour.

By thinking outside the box and not taking itself too seriously, Loewe has carved out a unique creative space in the fashion industry, and its latest advert epitomises its wilfully carefree exterior.