Bergdorf Goodman’s Holiday Campaign Casts New York City as the ‘Toast of the Town’

With touches of humor, high style and quintessential elements of New York City, Bergdorf Goodman will launch its holiday 2024 campaign, “Toast of the Town,” on Sunday.

“The campaign puts the spotlight on New York, it’s singular energy and the people and style originals who make it tick,” said Elle Strauss, Bergdorf’s chief creative officer. “It’s a monthslong process and a true collaboration involving all areas — online, social, in store and the windows.”

The campaign takes a “360-degree approach” and comes just days after the retailer unveiled its holiday windows on Thursday night.

Bergdorf will release a 90-second film starring Natasha Lyonne, playing a cab driver, taking an array of “fashion darlings,” as Strauss said, going to or coming from Bergdorf Goodman, or headed for a night on the town. Among those in the film are Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon, Christopher John Rogers, Willy Chavarria, Dara Allen, Young Emperors and Bergdorf’s own Linda Fargo. There is also Grace, a Jack Russell who appears in a Broadway show.

One scene has Christopher John Rogers talking about gifts he bought at Bergdorf’s. Another scene shows Fargo first in casual day clothes then in a red Carolina Herrera cocktail dress, as she heads to the ballet. Others head to the Guggenheim or the Boom Boom Room at The Standard Hotel. The film goes live Sunday and will also be seen in cabs Nov. 26 to Dec. 10.

Product curated around four personas — the uptown hostess, the celebrated artist, the man about town, and the downtown “It” girl — appear in the Bergdorf holiday book, in the Bergdorf women’s and men’s stores and online. On social media, four influencers curate gift guides, seen in action on in-store screens and Instagram.

Another highlight of the campaign is a partnership with New York artist Carly Kuhn. She’s drawn illustrations of exclusive Bergdorf products, such as a Verdura cuff and earrings, a Dries Van Noten fragrance and Manolo Blahnik heels, which appear on the store’s wallpaper, elevators, shopping bags and in social media. “We love these illustrations so much that we have made them in stickers on our medium-sized shopping bags,” Strauss said.

Maintaining the city theme and in recognition of Fifth Avenue celebrating its bicentennial this year, Bergdorf’s Fifth Avenue windows in the women’s store are devoted to five of the most distinguishing elements of Fifth Avenue. They include the avenue’s four parks; Central Park, Washington Square, Marcus Garvey Park and Bryant Park; the New York Public Library on 42nd Street; various landmarked buildings and monumental clocks; the profusion of yellow taxi cabs, and of course, Bergdorf Goodman.

The windows at Goodman’s, the men’s store, share the same spirit, highlighting street signs, window shopping, walking tours and holiday parades. Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Valentino, Thom Browne, Grace Ling, Prabal Gurung and other designers are featured in the men’s and women’s stores’ windows.