Experience Is the New Luxury: Branding Beyond Your Product

A logo embossed on leather, a bottle behind a velvet rope or an invite-only launch used to be enough to signal exclusivity. But today, the rules have changed. Today’s buyers don’t just want to admire the high-end objects in their hands and homes, they want moments where they feel the value of them.

This has become particularly important for the luxury and lifestyle sectors, which has seen a slowdown due to the rising cost of living and elevated expectations. Customers want brands to prove the goods and services they’re buying are worth what they’re paying.

Creating a brand experience that reflects the high-quality, personalised and deluxe nature of a product or service is key to proving value proposition in all sectors.

Why is a high-end experience key?

Under 35s are a key customer group for the luxury sector. Yet their relationship with these types of goods has changed significantly. Compared to other age groups, they’re more likely to shop for them while travelling abroad, seek a sense of identity of belonging from the purchase and are drawn to the design and creativity of an item or brand.

In fact, 74% of customers buy high-end items because of their aesthetic and 46% due to a brand’s history or heritage. This all indicates the importance of developing premium branding across experiences as well as products. A handbag can be replicated, but the story of how a high-end one is unveiled, crafted, packaged and delivered is impossible to copy.

There are a few different strategies brands are using to create this experience.

Building exclusive communities

Glossier is built around the philosophy of ‘Skin First, Makeup Second’, with each of their beauty regimes and products built around enhancing an individual’s natural beauty. This is reflected in the brand’s minimalist design and marketing campaigns focused on ‘real’ people – expressing that Glossier products are for any personality or lifestyle.

Instead of relying on the traditional indicators of luxury such as ornate, heritage visual elements, the beauty brand creates its sense of status with cult-like customer engagement. Led by the company founder’s mission to inform the beauty industry with conversations from real women, the brand actively engages with its fans both digitally and physically.

This ranges from social media channels filled with user-generated content, peer-to-peer engagement campaigns and sensorial, playful pop-up events. These online and offline community hubs immerse people in the brand, creating a club-like intimacy, sense of exclusivity and belonging that’s luxurious and enhances the products’ value.

This also ties into the needs of younger consumer groups, 27% of whom seek a better sense of community from high-end brands.

Giving status-level service

It’s nothing new for customers to expect top-notch service — but achieving this across both physical and digital experiences is now essential. The fitness brand Equinox understands this deeply. Beyond its lifestyle-focused branding, Equinox delivers an experience that truly lives up to its slogan: “It’s not fitness. It’s life.”

Equinox’s “Want It All” campaign extends this philosophy beyond the gym floor into the realm of cultural storytelling. The ad is a cinematic celebration of ambition and sensuality - filled with arresting, almost surreal imagery: glistening skin, flashes of movement, ruby-red pomegranates, and abstract human forms that blur the line between indulgence and intensity.

Through its exclusive luxury clubs, ‘signature’ classes, and expert personal training, Equinox supports members to exercise in a way that suits their life. Its concierge-style approach personalises every element of the experience - from training and recovery to nutrition and scheduling - once a new member completes their initiation assessment. This onboarding ritual not only tailors the service but also reinforces the feeling of belonging to an elite community.

With world-class coaches, science-backed programmes, and boutique clubs enhanced by its proprietary EQX OS, Equinox crafts what it calls “individualised full-spectrum care.” Whether a member aims to improve endurance, flexibility, or overall wellbeing, every touchpoint is designed to elevate the gym experience into something aspirational — a status symbol of commitment, vitality, and balance.

Capturing a feeling in hospitality

Modern customers lead busy lives - especially young, ambitious professionals who spend their days connected, reactive, and overstimulated. So, when they’re ready to take a break, what they crave most isn’t excess. It’s absence. Silence. Seclusion. Calm.

This sense of space and serenity is what ultra-luxury experiences brand Aman have mastered. Beyond their tranquil suites, discreet service, and untouched destinations, Aman has built something far deeper: a world that embodies stillness.

The Aman brand tone of voice follows the same philosophy. Its writing is measured, almost meditative - precise but never loud, descriptive but never overdone. The words guide rather than sell, creating a feeling of mindful calm that mirrors the brand’s physical environments. Even the logo design - a minimal, geometric wordmark - reflects this restraint, standing as a symbol of balance and clarity rather than opulence.

Every element of the Aman experience - from design to digital touchpoint - has been consciously curated to evoke peace and presence. The brand’s visual language captures silence in motion: photography that lingers on shadow, texture, and light; imagery that slows your breathing just by looking. Each frame is intentionally free of noise, crowds, or clutter - reinforcing the idea that luxury is found not in abundance, but in space.

This harmony between image, word, and form is not accidental. It’s a creative discipline that defines what modern luxury has become: intentional simplicity. By designing every element to whisper rather than shout, Aman signals confidence, care, and control - the quiet assurance of a brand that doesn’t need to prove its worth.

Beyond the serene suites and tailored experiences, Aman’s true innovation lies in its ability to orchestrate calm. Every guest touchpoint - from wellness rituals to dining, from the architecture to the slow rhythm of communication - contributes to a singular purpose: helping travellers reconnect with stillness.

It’s no surprise that this approach has become a benchmark across industries. With 97% of travellers now seeking experiences that reduce stress and anxiety, brands far beyond hospitality are taking cues from Aman. Whether through calmer interfaces, personalised wellbeing journeys, or minimalist design systems, they’re embracing the idea that peace itself is the ultimate luxury.

Creating premium experiences for your customer

Even if you’re not in the luxury sector, the lesson is clear: people no longer buy products, they buy experiences. From an aesthetics clinic that greets patients with warmth to a recruitment firm that makes the hiring process effortless, brands that focus on creating experiences which enhance customers’ lives are those that win.

Is your brand delivering the kind of luxury experience today’s customers expect?

Let’s create something exceptional - call our team on 01926 754038 or email us at hello@designmc.org