My Guilty Pleasure

It was Audrey Hepburn’s character in “Sabrina” who famously said, “Paris is always a good idea” and this certainly was the case in 2024. I was lucky to visit Paris, one of my favorite cities, this past year and the energy was palpable as the city geared up for its spotlight on the world stage. I think Paris ended up being the perfect cinematic backdrop for the Olympics and one of the most beautiful host cities I’ve ever seen.   

But as soon as the games wrapped, many of us turned our attention straight back to the City of Light, thanks to Emily, Gabriel, Sylvie, Alfie, Mindy and their ridiculously attractive and hilarious friends. Yes, my guilty pleasure “Emily in Paris” from Netflix is back and as I wait for the second half of the fourth season to drop September 12 (Team Gabriel, btw), I started to think about why this was such an enjoyable watch for me and many of my Allison colleagues.  

Of course, I love the escapism of seeing our heroine Emily galavant across France wearing Marni and Isabel Marant and indulge in crepes, champs and croissants all while navigating some impressive eye candy (I’m referring to the Paris architecture of course). But it’s not all fantasy television, as many of us have something real in common with Emily and her Agence Grateau colleagues: we too are brand marketers looking to create inspiring campaigns that drive business results for our clients! 

While I can’t help but sometimes cringe when Emily comes up with an organic social idea that is not rooted in any research, objectives or strategy (never mind it’s usually one-note and not multi-channel), here are the things I think Emily and co do très bien: 

I appreciate and relate to Emily’s commitment to networking and building authentic relationships with those in her professional circle, including longtime clients like Antoine Lambert. While she certainly mixes business with pleasure more than I do and is probably acceptable here in the States, she’s not afraid to put herself out there. And speaking of putting herself out there, Emily is never afraid to speak up even when she’s amongst those with far more experience than her. She’s comfortable expressing a different or contrarian point of view in a pitch and I hope it inspires a younger generation – a creative and smart idea can come from anyone and I always want to hear from social savvy Gen Z/Alpha. Bravo, Emily!  

Emily is a good reminder that inspiration is all around us, especially when we’re away from a screen and living our lives outside work. One of my favorite faux campaigns from the show is for Hästens Beds  – the (real) Swedish premium bed, bedding and mattress company. After her visit to the immersive Van Gogh exhibit, Emily is inspired by Starry Night to create a physical, outdoor installation with Hästens in the most beautiful spots in Paris. By cheekily asking the public to “sleep with” the brand as they hop into beds across the city, Emily and team secure incredible UGC and I’d imagine great press. Fun fact: Hästens supposedly makes Beyoncé’s bed of choice.  

Matching like-minded brands up is almost always a good idea, and even better if one partner or agency can do so thanks to a strong client roster. Emily was smart to host the limited-edition purple McLaren event at Antione’s lavender farm, where they could not only market his perfume and also have Gabriel as the caterer. 

Emily and team show that sometimes humor is the best way in, especially when it’s rooted in a real insight. Real Belgium-based pet food brand Edgard & Cooper | B Corp loved their pet filter pitch, inspired by the theory that people look like their pets. This scene and campaign was made even better, since Madeline showing up to an important Zoom meeting with the cat filter was art imitating life, surely inspired by the “I’m not a cat” virtual court proceeding video that went wildly viral for good reason in 2021. 

I’d be remiss not to mention the show provides ample opportunities for brands to creatively activate beyond the actual plot. I loved when Duolingo jumped on the Emily in Paris train and offered Emilys around the world a free month subscription to enhance their French skills, timed with the second season launch. And have you used Google Lens yet to shop directly from season four, as part of Google’s title sponsorship of the show?  It works well, although I don’t think I’ll be making any purchases! 

I think Emily would fit right in at Allison helping to drive cultural relevance for our clients. But I want to hear from you – would you hire Emily, Sylvie, Luc or Julien? Or are you watching just for the fashion, fun and French joie de vivre?  

Stay fierce, 

Lisa