CEOs usually throw around economic jargon and juggle figures like a circus clown with his balls. In our interview, Breitling CEO Georges Kern is unusually approachable and talks not only about the watch brand’s success but also about his greatest passion: storytelling.
Interview: Nadia Hartzer
Editors: Lauren Hawker Zafer, Lara Meroni
Georges Kern is known as the CEO of the Breitling watch brand. But what many people don’t know: Kern is also a film producer and an avid script reader – or in his words: a “weekend screenwriter”. Making decisions during the day, hitting the keys in the evening? What makes the CEO of such a large brand dedicate his free time to this hobby, and are there perhaps even parallels to what he does professionally, dressed in a suit and tie?
It doesn’t take long for Georges Kern to talk about the parallels between film and luxury watches during the interview in Zurich, especially as Kern is firmly convinced that the two worlds are not as opposed as many might think. A good script is the anchor for the success of a movie, just as a good story influences the success of a brand. Many companies have a product and no story, Kern said, and without a story there is no personalization. “Society longs for personalization,” says the head of Breitling, “we identify with people, a person, the stories, more than with a concept.” This attitude has probably played a key role in the collaboration with the lifestyle brand Deus ex Macchina. A collaboration that allows the two brands to go hand in hand – creating stories and creating an image. The campaign itself focuses on community, something that currently sets Breitling apart from its competitors. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breitling_SA
Fearless
Georges Kern joined Breitling in 2017. The dusty
He is responsible for bringing the watch brand into the here and now and back into people’s minds. He himself refers to his management work and never tires of proudly raving about his team, without whose commitment even the most resourceful CEO would only be a string-puller without a string.
The interview lasts an hour, which feels like a few minutes thanks to Kern’s stories, his charm and his self-confident demeanor. This man has strength, but what is his greatest strength? “Courage,” he answers as if shot from a gun and adds: “I’m not afraid of anything!” He then talks about his sense of humor and the film “Mon Chien Stupide“, which Kern produced himself. The film is based on the novel of the same name by the American author John Fante, who was very popular in France. Georges Kern acted as producer, Yvan Attal as director, and the leading role was played by none other than Charlotte Gainsbourg. When Kern tackles something, he does it properly. The success of the film won the Breitling CEO many fans and was so well received that it was rated as one of the ten best films in France when it was released. The comedy-drama is set in France and was also filmed there. It tells the story of a dysfunctional family whose cohesion dwindles and whose structure falls apart in the course of the story. What sounds sad becomes a humorous piece on the screen, which makes the audience laugh a lot.
Happy ending
Why was “Mon Chien Stupide” so well received by the audience? Kern mentions the authenticity of the film and the closeness to his own life and also refers to the happy ending, which is pointed but not kitschy. “A happy ending is a must, but it shouldn’t be cheesy,” he says firmly. Kern is a keen advocate of sending the viewer out of the theater at the end of a film with a good feeling, without using a hackneyed cliché. This is so important to him that the original ending of “Mon Chien Stupide” was even reshot and replaced. Georges Kern would not be himself if he rested on the great success of the film. His next goal: to produce “Mon Chien Stupide” as an English television series.
“You can’t sell a luxury brand without a story.”
When the world was facing lockdown, the Breitling CEO turned to his passion and wrote his own French TV series. The title is still top secret, smiles Kern, who continues to develop his talent for storytelling as well as his vision for Breitling. He has a gift for understanding customers and their needs, which is his strength and he knows how to use it, whether in the film industry or at Breitling.
Click here for the interview with GUESS founder Paul Marciano.
