How fashion is investing in “The White Lotus”

In recent years, product placement in the world of TV series has evolved almost into an art form of its own, shifting from a mere visibility strategy to a functional narrative element. One brand that has raised the bar for product placement this year is Zegna, which, for the new season of The White Lotus, provided clothing not only to actors Jason Isaacs, Sam Nivola, and Tayme Thimthapthong but also to their on-screen characters, creating a sort of short-circuit between reality and fiction while also turning marketing into an effective element of character development much like what was seen in Succession with Loro Piana and Jacques Marie Mage. But while in Succession, brand usage initially stemmed from styling and only later turned into a marketing strategy due to the show's success, Zegna’s approach signals that many brands are now adopting a more integrated method, combining marketing and styling from the start. Already in the second season, a scene set in Liu Jo's store in Taormina (a brand not available in the U.S.) generated such an increase in brand awareness that Marco Marchi, its owner, began considering expansion into the United States. But now that The White Lotus has become, for many, both a satirical and aspirational reflection of the upper socio-economic classes, fashion is no longer reacting to success but trying to anticipate it. The strategy appears to work particularly well with sunglasses, one of the most clearly visible accessories on screen. This season they are by Zegna, but they have already been a key marketing focus for Jacques Marie Mage in the third season of Succession, with a model designed by Jeremy Strong and many other appearances, including designs from Brunello Cucinelli, Prada, Persol, Tom Ford, and Oliver Peoples.

Indeed, starting with the fantastic outfits from last season, The White Lotus became a perfect example of how television can turn into a stage for strategic collaborations between brands and TV production even for independent brands such as ADITI, which specializes in athleisure and received a lot of visibility after appearing on the show. Even though fashion, watch, and car brands successfully appeared in films like James Bond as early as the 1970s, it was Giorgio Armani in the 1980s, with his strategic product placements in films like American Gigolo and The Sheltering Sky, who synthesized the formula of fashion product placement as we know it today. Naturally, The White Lotus has drawn attention not only from Zegna but also from brands like American Express, Diageo, Google Pixel, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale’s, and BMW. These brands invested in the show even before it aired through exclusive capsule collections, demonstrating how television marketing has become proactive rather than reactive. But this year, the range of products is truly vast: from candles by Nest New York and Homesick to suitcases and travel kits by Away, from chocolates by Compartés to beauty products by Supergoop! and Kiehl’s, from beach bags by Brunch to pillows by CB2, and collaborations with Ketel One Vodka and Tanqueray. Even H&M created a resort collection inspired by the tropical atmospheres of the new season. Everyone wants a piece of the show's success, aiming to turn viewers into customers or at least profit indirectly from that success. However, it is easy to see how Zegna has taken a different approach, as the products seen in the show (which include Triple Stitch sneakers, linen shirts, and more) are not just purchasable but are also what the characters, if real, would actually wear.

Quietly, Zegna has been courting the world of prestige television for years. The brand's latest show in Milan, for example, featured John Turturro not only as a runway model but also as the star of a short film produced by the brand, coinciding with his role in the new and acclaimed season of Severance. A similar event occurred during the last season of Succession, when Kieran Culkin became the ambassador for Triple Stitch in a campaign that closely resembled the series’ aesthetic (the brand appeared in the show only once), seemingly marking Zegna’s first “contact” with the world of HBO and Apple TV’s prestige television. This strategy has notable precedents, from modern phenomena like Emily in Paris, which focuses on fashion but is not particularly followed by fashion insiders, to the pioneering series for such collaborations, Sex & the City, which immortalized Fendi’s Baguette, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Hermès’ Birkin bag for at least two or three generations. Over time, fashion and television have frequently intersected (even Lizzie McGuire wore Vivienne Westwood at one point) without marketing strategies extending beyond simple placement. The evolution of product placement is not just about brand visibility but also its integration into storytelling. Over time, brand positioning has shifted from being merely an aesthetic detail to a genuine narrative element.

Viewers no longer just observe the products; they aspire to be part of that world. The third season of The White Lotus takes this strategy to an even higher level. With the rise of strategic partnerships between luxury brands and prestige TV series, television is becoming one of the most powerful platforms for experiential marketing precisely because TV series (or at least some of them) offer the dream of a certain lifestyle. In an era where traditional advertising struggles to capture audience attention, product placement integrated into storytelling proves to be a winning strategy precisely due to its “organic” fit within a narrative: identifying with a character often involves dressing like them, and audiovisual content is increasingly a goldmine of references for outfits that reveal, more than who we are, who we aspire to be. Ultimately, as many prestige series become long-term cultural phenomena, they serve as powerful platforms for a range of marketing approaches, from classic collaborations to innovative strategies like Zegna’s. The success of The White Lotus shows that brands and companies no longer need to wait to see which show becomes a cult hit; they can shape success from the very beginning, securing a place in pop culture even before airing. With the fourth season already confirmed, the only question left is: which brand will be next to join the series?