RHIANNAS' SAVAGE X FENTY SHOW VOL.2

Rhianna has done it again. Savage X Fenty show Vol 2 aired on prime video on 2nd October 2020, the show was sensational. The show met its aim of getting people talking, it was more like a musical performance, it took 138 hours of dance rehearsal and featured 165 different looks (Savage, 2020). It included 44 celebrities, models Bella Hadid & Cara Delevigne, (Gonzales, 2020)singers, drag queens, actresses, Rhianna herself and many others (Gonzales, 2020).Behind the scenes showed Rhianna working on lingerie, the flower garden (Murray, 2020) and choreographed dances. When people wear Savage products, Rhianna wants them to feel empowered, sexy and confident (Savage,2020) that’s how the show makes you feel when you watch it, so imagine if you’re wearing the products!

Rhianna in a huge flower in the flower garden of the Savage X Fenty Vol.2 Show (Source: Savage, 2020).

Of course, the Savage X Fenty show has been compared to competitor Victoria’s Secrets shows, but Savage X Fenty is in its own league. It channels diversity, models wearing sizes ranging from Xs to 4xl (Yotka, 2018) and transgender models, compared to Victoria’s Secrets models, who represent a minority of un-realistic body ideals (DiValentino, 2019). The feeling of confidence and inclusivity aligns with Savage X Fenty’s brand identity, described as “Powerful femme” (DiValentino, 2019).

Unlike the Savage X Fenty 2019 show, the 2020 show, due to COVID-19, was pre-filmed, focusing on unique and exciting shots/angles to enhance the viewing experience (Murray, 2020). The theory of consumer decision making includes three stages, pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). Within the “pre-purchase stage”, there are 3 out of 5 stages of the 5-stage consumer decision making process. The first stage is recognition (Wolny & Charoensuksai, 2014). This includes consumers engaging with touchpoints such as social media posts promoting the show. For some consumers, this will be the ZMOT, therefore, it’s crucial these touchpoints are engaging, so consumers will recognise a need (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016).

Supermodel Bella Hadid and Normani for Savage X Fenty show Vol.2 (Source: Savage, 2020)

The second stage is information searches, where consumer needs are translated into an emotional appeal, and would watch the Savage show to find out more (Wolny & Charoensuksai, 2014). Whilst watching, links appear to Savage’s website, prompting consumers to interact and click the link. Savage X Fenty is unique, because the collection is immediately available for any consumer to buy, unlike traditional fashion shows where only celebrities have immediate access to the shows collection (DiValentino, 2019). Savage X Fenty is for everyone (Gonzales, 2020), and every aspect of the brand communicates this. Consumers then undertake the third stage, of alternative evaluation (Wolny & Charoensuksai, 2014), such as reading Savage X Fenty reviews on the website ( a brand-owned touchpoint), or via independent customer reviews online. The purchase stage (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016), involves consumer behaviour in purchasing products seen on the show via the Savage website (Wolny & Charoensuksai, 2014). The final stage, post-purchase, engages consumers with the physical product, possibly posting a customer owned review online or generated by word of mouth (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). The customer journey is a dynamic and multi-channel experience.

Some of the Savage X Fenty show Vol.2 models, representative of larger sized models, transgender and different sexual orientation models

(Source: Savage, 2020)

I feel that Savage X Fenty show objectives were met because it’s an exciting and unique touchpoint used to engage consumers. “It was not just a fashion show but a celebration of individuality and self-expression." (Savage, 2020)|. Many people agreed that they felt empowered and represented by models in the Savage X Fenty show (Fisher, 2019).

Reference List:

DiValentino, A. 2019. The Victoria’s Secret fashion show may be cancelled, but it never held a candle to Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty runway. [Online]. [Accessed on 10th December 2020]. Available from: https://www.insider.com/rihanna-savage-x-fenty-show-versus-victorias-secret-2019-9

Fisher, L. 2019. Women were incredibly moved by Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty show. [Online]. [Accessed on 06 October 2020]. Available from: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/a29143403/rihanna-savage-fenty-show-2019-reactions-reviews/

Gonzales, E. 2020. Tracking All the Stars in Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty Vol.2 Show. [Online]. [Accessed on 08 October 2020]. Available from: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/g34239597/savage-x-fenty-cast/

Lemon, K. N, and Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80, 69–96.

Murray, D. 2020. Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty Show 2020: Everything you need to know. [Online]. [Accessed on 09 October 2020]. Available from: https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/a28995127/rihanna-savage-x-fenty-new-york-fashion-week/

Savage X Fenty. 2020. Savage X Fenty Show Vol.2. [Online]. [Accessed on 06 October 2020]. Available from: https://www.savagex.co.uk/featured/show

Wolny, J and Charoensuksai, N. Mapping customer journeys in multichannel decision-making. Springer Link. 2014. 15. PP 317- 326.

Yotka, S. 2018. Everything you need to know about Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty launch. [Online]. [Accessed on 09 October 2020]. Available from: https://www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-savage-x-fenty-lingerie-launch-details