Tory Burch’s “Love Letter to New York”, a 3-minute video that launched on T-magazine December 6, shows how valuable video can be as a brand-building tool.

Burch, the founder of a fashion company with $150 million in annual earnings, has long had the image of a cool but inaccessible patrician beauty. Tabitha Denholm produced the video, which changes that image. It warms up the Tory Burch brand by adding an emotional connection to its founder and linking it with the affection many people feel toward New York City during the holidays. Burch is shown strolling through gorgeously shot scenes of New York with untucked shirt, smiling, sitting in café’s with blue-checked tablecloths. She talks about how she came to New York and why she loves the city 8 million people call home.

The video was launched at an opportune time.  Days before it came out, Burch’s ex-husband’s 1/3 stake in her company, valued at $2 billion, came on the market. A venture capitalist who funded the launch of Tory Burch LLC and sits on its board, he just launched a retail shop of his own, described by reporter Alexandra Jacobs as “a mirror of Tory Burch’s preppy style.” (“It’s unclear whether this is an amicable homage or a hostile takeover,” she said.)

Which makes perfect timing for Tory Burch’s “Love Letter to New York.”