In an era that fetishises technology, digital dominates the advertising space. Yet in Asia’s luxury landscape, print has not been left with only memories of a gloriously analogue past. Instead, the medium has evolved to offer a permanence and prestige that screens struggle to replicate. As Randy Duax, managing director, Asia-Pacific at Stagwell, puts it: “Digital won the battle for attention [but] print still wins the battle for significance.”

Enduring allure

For luxury brands targeting affluent audiences in Asia, print combines permanence, intention and gravitas – exuding a prestige that cannot be replicated with digital media. Much of that comes from the physical experience of the printed page.

“Print offers a more considered, tactile encounter with our stories: the feel of the paper, the rhythm of turning each page, the ability to linger on an image or on a sentence,” explains Loletta Lai, Natural Diamonds APAC vice-president, De Beers Group. “Print can deepen the emotional connection because it feels permanent and can be kept forever.”

Beyond its tactile qualities, print remains indispensable for driving emotion, storytelling and brand equity. “Magazines and beautifully produced books are still a preferred way to engage with brand stories,” Lai continues.

It’s an opportunity to let “our brand messages go further and deeper”, says Cheuk Shum, HSBC’s head of marketing, Hong Kong. It’s why the bank chose to use archival articles and images to create compelling print stories as part of its 160th anniversary campaign. In the same spirit, De Beers partnered with high-end publisher Assouline to create A Diamond is Forever, a luxurious coffee table book, to serve as “a permanent cultural archive, not just a campaign recap,” explains Lai.

Telling a brand story in print creates deeply personal connections that are often more successful in driving high-value purchases.