85% of the $25.4 Billion Won in Media Value from Zendaya's Louis Vuitton Campaign Was Never Bought

The campaign built around Zendaya, an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, generated 25.3 million dollars (about 35.4 billion won) in Media Impact Value (MIV, a metric that quantifies the value created by brand mentions across media and social channels) without any paid advertising. Of that total, the contribution from paid exposure the brand directly purchased (Direct Impact) was zero dollars.

Brand marketing analytics firm Launchmetrics examined the campaign using its proprietary Voice Echo methodology, which distinguishes a campaign's direct performance from the indirect resonance it generates. The analysis found that owned channels contributed just 3.7 million dollars (about 5.2 billion won, 14.6%). The remaining 22 million dollars (about 30.8 billion won, 85.4%) came from third-party mentions the brand did not pay for, spreading organically as 'Indirect Echo.'

Launchmetrics pointed to 'value alignment' rather than fame as the standard behind these results in ambassador selection. Citing F1 driver Lewis Hamilton as an example, the report explained that resonance grows larger when a brand's values and a person's values align. With US influencer marketing spending in 2026 projected to reach 12.17 billion dollars (about 17 trillion won, per Statista), as spending scales up, choosing ambassadors based on alignment rather than fame is likely to become the variable that determines efficiency relative to spend.

Source · Launchmetrics, "Ambassador Marketing: What Brands Need to Know"

At the 2026 Glossy Fashion and Luxury Awards, the top brand collaboration prize was built not in a physical store but inside a video game. Coach's virtual collaboration items with EA's The Sims 4 racked up millions of in-game impressions along with more than 122 million item try-ons, earning it the win. Coach carried its brand identity, 'Courage to Be Real,' directly into the virtual world, offering wearable items and a signature handbag as open access.

SKIMS was named Fashion Brand of the Year. The company expanded its physical footprint by opening 15 new stores in the US, while also acquiring the beauty brand SKKN by Kim to move into beauty and fragrance. Its Spring 2026 campaign featuring Blackpink's Lisa, part of the NikeSKIMS collaboration line with Nike, illustrates SKIMS' expansion into performance wear, entertainment, and global creator culture.

The award for New Store of the Year went to Canada Goose's flagship on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, which combines French oak, energy-responsive lighting, works by indigenous artists, and a brand archive display, along with Europe's first VIC (very important client) suite. Among the newly created categories, Accessories Brand of the Year went to MAISON de SABRÉ, and Best Brand Marketing Campaign went to The RealReal's 'L'ultimo Uomo Reale' — with this year's winners overall standing out for prioritizing experience, personalization, and cultural connection.

Source · Glossy, "Coach, SKIMS and Canada Goose are 2026 Glossy Fashion and Luxury Awards winners"

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