EXCLUSIVE: Louis Vuitton Taps Advertising Executive to Lead Image, Communication
Louis Vuitton has recruited the president of Amsterdam advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy as its new executive vice president of image and communications.
Blake Harrop starts at Vuitton in Paris on May 2, joins the management committee and reports to Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, according to an internal announcement seen by WWD.
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Harrop succeeds Stefano Cantino, who is exiting Vuitton after six years to become deputy CEO at Gucci, as reported.
Harrop takes up an expansive, high-profile role at the world’s biggest luxury fashion and leather goods brand, renowned for its extravagant fashion shows, roving exhibitions, bold retail projects — and mighty media budgets.
Louis Vuitton increased its spending on advertising and promotions at the Louis Vuitton brand last year to 7 percent of revenues, meaning a spend of 1.63 billion euros, RBC Capital Markets estimated in a recent report.
A Brit who has lived all over the world, Harrop brings significant experience to Vuitton, having worked with a host of well-known consumer brands headlined by Samsung, Nike and Allianz, along with the likes of Hennessy, Evian, Visa, Google and Montblanc.
“Blake has extensive communications and marketing expertise, with over 20 years of international experience, over half of which he acquired at the advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy,” Beccari said in the internal memo.
“President of the agency since 2022, Blake previously headed the agency’s offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Amsterdam. He deepened his knowledge of the luxury sector while working with several major industry leaders,” Beccari wrote. “Prior to that, Blake was global head of digital marketing at Samsung in South Korea, rolling out the company’s first social media campaigns.”
Beccari described Harrop as a “recognized expert in the sector who will enable us to reach new heights, further contributing to strengthening the desirability of Louis Vuitton. Through his career and prior experience, Blake will contribute to imagining new campaigns and new initiatives that will further elevate the image of the maison, a unique cultural brand and the only luxury brand featured in the top 10 most powerful brands in the world.”
Under Harrop’s watch, Wieden + Kennedy achieved B Corp status, a gold standard for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. He also gained a reputation for working well with creative people. During his tenure at the multinational agency, he was in charge of Nike across Japan, Korea, the Middle East and Europe.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Harrop has also worked at Digitas North America and IBM Business Consulting Services.
He holds an MBA from elite French school INSEAD and studied executive education at Harvard Business School.
Harrop is an accomplished athlete, and was four times British Judo Council National Champion, in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999.
He shares a sporty background with Beccari, a professional soccer player before he started his career in international marketing at consumer products giant Reckitt Benckiser, going on to work at Parmalat and Henkel before joining LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2006.
In a 2022 interview when he was at the helm of Dior Couture, Beccari shared an important lesson learned on the pitch: “You know, if you win a championship, you have to forget about it and concentrate on the next championship.”
On Thursday, Beccari said, “thanks to Blake’s former experience as a professional Judoka — which also echoes my own sporting background — I am confident of his capacity to inspire passion and collectiveness within his new team at Louis Vuitton.”
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