INTERNATIONAL. Shiseido Travel Retail has introduced prestige skincare brand Drunk Elephant into travel retail, a highly anticipated launch that represents a key milestone for the brand.
Throughout the fourth quarter of 2021, Shiseido Travel Retail has unveiled successive Drunk Elephant doors across APAC and EMEA travel retail. Drunk Elephant was acquired by Shiseido Group in 2019.
This programme includes key airport and downtown duty free locations in China with DFS Group in Hong Kong and Macau and with Lotte Duty Free, The Shilla Duty Free and Shinsegae Duty Free in South Korea. New counters have also opened in France and the Middle East.
According to Shiseido Travel Retail President & CEO Philippe Lesné, Drunk Elephant’s distinctive ‘Suspicious 6’ ethos, biocompatible formulations and bold visual identity have helped it grow a loyal community of fans around the world, building the foundations for its timely launch into the channel.
Lesné commented, “I am delighted to welcome Drunk Elephant into our prestige portfolio. The opening of the brand’s first travel retail counters is an important achievement that underpins Shiseido Group’s goal to become a global leader in skin beauty by 2030.
“Travel retail is a global showcase for exceptional consumer experiences, differentiated products and digital engagement, and Drunk Elephant is a great fit,” added Lesné. “Thank you to our retailer partners for trusting and supporting us in this landmark launch – together with Tiffany and her team, we look forward to unlocking new synergies for growth and developing Drunk Elephant to its full potential in the channel.”
The Drunk Elephant Difference
Founded by Tiffany Masterson in 2012, Drunk Elephant’s mission is to offer a full range of skincare, haircare, and body care products that are free of the Suspicious 6, a reference to an ubiquitous list of ingredients often used in traditional beauty formulations that can cause skin disruptions. These are fragrances, essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens and SLS.
All Drunk Elephant’s formulas are biocompatible and centred on healthy pH levels and feature effective active ingredients that maintain the skin’s acid mantle. Drunk Elephant consumers are encouraged to take a ‘Drunk Break’ by removing the Suspicious 6 from their skincare routines to reset the skin.
The brand’s biocompatible formulations mean they can mix easily and are highly absorbable, allowing the products to blend seamlessly to form a ‘Skincare Smoothie’.
Much like choosing your liquid smoothie ingredients according to your health needs, Drunk Elephant customers can choose their skincare smoothie ingredients based on their specific skin issues.
In comments exclusive to The Moodie Davitt Report, Lesné said: “The biggest strength of Drunk Elephant lies in its universal appeal, especially as people are becoming more conscious about healthy skin and functional skincare.
“Drunk Elephant stands out in the market as its biocompatible products are formulated without the ‘Suspicious 6’ ingredients, and this unique philosophy by founder Tiffany Masterson has really resonated with consumers worldwide. By adding Drunk Elephant to our portfolio, it is an important step towards our Group’s goal of becoming a global leader in skin beauty by 2030.
“The self-care trend during the pandemic was a key driver of Drunk Elephant’s domestic growth,” he added. “Riding on this momentum of success, we will leverage our strong travel retailer partnerships to expand in key strategic travel retail markets. Bolstered by our strength in consumer insights-driven marketing to the global traveller, we will bring the Drunk Elephant brand identity to life in travel retail environments and deliver newness with travel-exclusive collections.”
Welcome to the House of Drunk
Drunk Elephant’s House of Drunk travel retail counters feature the same neon colour palette and irreverent brand identity. With a range of retail formats and sizes, the striking counters are hard to miss and feature lively, friendly brand messaging.
A key highlight of the counter is Drunk Elephant’s Smoothie Bar, which offers different skincare smoothie combinations best suited to shoppers’ specific skin needs.
The counters offer Drunk Elephant’s best-sellers including the new travel-friendly ‘The Littles Night Out Kit’ which comprises four of the brand’s most popular products. It offers the Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser, B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum and Protini Polypeptide Cream.
Shoppers can also explore the dedicated ‘Drunk to Go’ displays for the brand’s travel retail-exclusive sets that battle common skin conditions when travelling. They include the ‘When in Roam’ Kit and the ‘Takeoff Kit’. When in Roam includes the Protini Polypeptide Cream and B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, while the Takeoff Kit comprises the Glycolic night Serum, Lala Retro Whipped Cream and B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum.
Drunk Elephant’s launch is supported by a comprehensive digital campaign, across different strategic retail partners, to amplify brand awareness both online and offline. This includes multiple in-store activations within key travel retail locations.
As reported, DFS welcomed Drunk Elephant into its stores with the quirky animated film above. Click the link to watch the film in full.
All aboard Trunk Airlines: Drunk Elephant goes global
Shiseido Travel Retail plans to roll out the Drunk Elephant brand in 2022 with more locations planned in Thailand, Germany and the USA.
According to Shiseido, Drunk Elephant will be launched in strategic duty free markets where it enjoys a strong domestic presence.
The roll-out plan will leverage Shiseido Travel Retail’s expertise and partnerships to connect with a diverse travel retail audience worldwide.
Commenting on Drunk Elephant’s travel retail expansion strategy, Lesné said: “We have begun the global roll-out across Asia and EMEA travel retail in 2021 with the aim to open 11 doors by the end of the year.
“In 2022, we are working to launch Drunk Elephant in strategic markets where it has a strong domestic presence – such as Thailand, Germany and the United States – and by targeting the Chinese traveller footprint, led initially by key downtown and airport duty free locations.”
For the first time Chinese travellers are now able to purchase the brand in their favourite travel retail locations. Up until now, it has only been available on Tmall cross-border.
“China and Hainan are key growth drivers of our travel retail business in Asia,” Lesné explained. “We are optimistic about the brand’s prospects with Chinese consumers who are digitally engaged, focused on the efficacy of skincare ingredients, and looking for high-quality products and differentiated experiences in skin beauty.”
“For the initial roll-out, we have opened the first travel retail doors for Drunk Elephant in Macau and Hong Kong, offering Chinese travellers the opportunity to purchase the brand at physical travel retail counters in some of their popular holiday destinations. We will continue to monitor its development to identify potential opportunities for expansion and collaboration in travel retail.”
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