Louis Vuitton to advertise on television

Haute Couture icon Louis Vuitton will be entering uncharted waters with its first television ad campaign, a 90-second travel-themed commercial shot in France, Spain, India and Japan.

The company is calling it "the first ever on-screen corporate campaign by a luxury house."

It's a bold move by a company looking to expand its footprint in fast-growing markets like China, although the ad will air worldwide. But I'm not sure if it's the right move.

Just a few days ago, I wrote on WalletPop, our new personal finance blog, about the cooling demand for designer handbags. The reason? Fashion-forward consumers are concerned that the tops bags from the top designers have become all-too ubiquitous in recent years, and no longer project an image of class and exclusivity.

A television ad campaign could further turn off these consumers and do considerable damage to the brand's cache. There's a reason that Louis has opted not to do commercials in all its years as a top fashion house, and the abrupt shift raises questions.

Louis Vuitton is a division of LVMH Moet Hennessey L.V. (ADR) (OTC: LVMUY), publicly traded under an ADR under the symbol LVMUY on the Pink Sheets.