INTERNATIONAL. Earlier today at the Mayfair Hotel in London, Aramis and Designer Fragrances (part of the Estée Lauder group) unveiled the debut travel retail exclusive fragrance line from DKNY, called Love From New York. The global roll-out will begin in July.
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The debut travel retail exclusive fragrance masterbrand from DKNY: Love From New York |
The masterbrand collection features one fragrance for women, and one for men. The price point is prestige entry level, with each 48ml scent retailing at US$45/€35/£27. A women’s duo set will also be available, priced at US$85/€63/£48.60.
“The DKNY brand was born in the heart of New York in 1989, as a diffusion line of the initial Donna Karan,” explained Aramis and Designer Fragrances Regional Marketing Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa Louise Marchesin, as she set the scene for the fragrance reveal.
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DKNY’s exclusive new love story Aramis and Designer Fragrances’ Tancrède Amacker tells The Moodie Report why DKNY is inviting travellers to share an exclusive love affair with New York City |
“The fashion is known for being chic and casual, as are all the fragrances under the DKNY brand. This latest introduction is no exception.”
DKNY was chosen for an exclusive launch given the size and strength of its business. “It’s the biggest brand within the Aramis and Designer Fragrances portfolio,” confirmed Marchesin, “and it’s grown +35% since the launch of Be Delicious in 2005.
“The apple has given this brand such a big boost that where it stands today offers the right platform from which to launch a travel retail exclusive fragrance.”
She added: “According to Generation, in global travel retail Donna Karan is ranked number eight in women’s fragrances – and Be Delicious is number five – so we are right up there playing with the big boys at the top of the charts.”
As its name suggests, the Love From New York DKNY concept revolves around the iconic backdrop of New York City.
“New York is as much a state of mind as it is a destination,” noted Marchesin. “This fragrance aims to encapsulate all the little moments you can’t forget, such as walking hand-in-hand in Central Park, or a late-night ferry ride across the Hudson. It’s all about falling in love in, and with, New York, whether you live there or are just passing through.”
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The key advertising visual for Love From New York DKNY features the iconic Empire State Building in the background |
The feminine juice, an edp, opens on floral notes of water lily and freesia, offset by a citrus twist of mandarin and blackcurrant. The heart features magnolia, white lily and violet leaves. The dry down is a Sensual Skin Accord, paired with blonde woods and apricot.
The masculine edt unfolds on citrus notes of pomelo, clementine and bergamot, followed by cardamom and violet leaves. The heart combines cilantro, geranium, water lily and white iris, atop a base of black suede, patchouli, driftwood and sandalwood.
“Love From New York DKNY represents a significant investment for us within the travel retail channel, and we want to make it really big all around the world.“ |
Aramis and Designer Fragrances Regional Marketing Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa Louise Marchesin |
The packaging is an integral part of the Love From New York DKNY concept. The matching rectangular bottles each sport a silver cylinder cap engraved with a Statue of Liberty stamp. “Love From New York” is printed in handwritten-style script across each flacon.
The bottles are differentiated by the colour of the juice within: pink for the feminine fragrance and blue for the masculine. A corresponding splash of pink or blue adorns each outer carton, which also features a collage of black and white snapshots of famous New York city landmarks. The back of the box was inspired by a postcard, complete with postage mark and blank “To” and “From” sections.
The main advertising visual features a glamorous couple in a passionate clinch, with the Empire State Building in the background.
The fragrances will benefit from extensive in-store support. “This is where we need to create a stir, and be really creative and different,” noted Marchesin. “Love From New York DKNY represents a significant investment for us within the travel retail channel, and we want to make it really big all around the world.”
She added: “What is also significant is that as part of the in-store merchandising, we will integrate our other DKNY lines. Obviously the key focus will be Love From New York DKNY, but we will take the opportunity to push the whole DKNY brand forward.”
“As a channel travel retail is of course feeling the effects of lower passenger numbers. That makes the issue of penetration even more important, and I believe that initiatives such as Love From New York DKNY will undoubtedly help retailers to attract travellers into their stores to spend.“ |
Vice President/General Manager of Estée Lauder Travel Retailing, Europe, Middle East, Africa Jean-Charles Seite |
Continuing with the postcard/travel theme, the POS material includes pre-paid postcards and on-counter postboxes, which will allow travellers to send cards to a loved one.
“There will be a photo album gwp,” added Marchesin. “We will have rotating postcard holder-style merchandising for the fragrances, and even the blotters will echo the shape and design of the Statue of Liberty stamp that decorates the lid of the bottle.
“The concept is fantastically rounded and incorporates so many fun, yet coherent little details which all fit together perfectly.”
The fragrances – which will be exclusive to travel retail for 12 months – go on-counter in July, with the main promotional push scheduled for July-August. The line will be available at airports, downtown duty free stores, and onboard selected airlines.
Additionally, Love From New York DKNY will be available on-line at www.dknyfragrances.com, at US free-standing DKNY stores, and at the Empire State Building.
If successful, the fragrances could pave the way for further exclusives from DKNY. “We need to see how things go during the first 12 months,” noted Aramis and Designer Fragrances Regional Director Europe, Middle East, Africa Tancrède Amacker.
“If it does as well as we’re hoping, I don’t see why there shouldn’t be more. But this is a big investment for us, and we need to evaluate the results. In particular, as it is the first exclusive line from DKNY, we need to monitor the impact it has on the entire franchise: sales have to be incremental.”
He continued: “Our research tells us that consumers definitely want to find exclusive products at airports. They also want exciting gifting items, and of course, in these testing economic times, reasonable prices too. Love From New York DKNY ticks all those boxes so I’m pretty confident it will do well.”
Jean-Charles Seite, Vice President/General Manager of Estée Lauder Travel Retailing, Europe, Middle East, Africa concluded: “We all know that these are difficult economic times, and as a channel travel retail is of course feeling the effects of lower passenger numbers.
“That makes the issue of penetration even more important, and I believe that initiatives such as Love From New York DKNY will undoubtedly help retailers to attract travellers into their stores to spend.”
MORE STORIES ON ARAMIS AND DESIGNER FRAGRANCES/DKNY
DKNY Blossoms anew with Be Delicious – 26/02/09
Aramis and Hilfiger dream up precious Pearl fragrance – 23/02/09
Aramis and Designer Fragrances offers DKNY duos – 26/01/09
DKNY gets even more Delicious – 03/09/08
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