Introduction: Founded in 2015 and inspired by the Brazilian spirit, Sol de Janeiro has expanded to become one of the fastest-growing body care brands in North America. Today, Sol de Janeiro sells a Brazilian Bum Bum cream every 14 seconds globally as it continues to inspire women to embrace beauty in all shapes, skin tones and sizes.
As the brand makes its global travel retail debut with Dufry, we caught up with Sol de Janeiro Founder Heela Yang to discuss how her own body confidence journey inspired the creation of brand.
We also discuss the brand’s recent acquisition by L’OCCITANE Group, and the synergies and opportunities that partnership has opened up for Sol de Janeiro as it continues to spread its ‘Love It. Flaunt It. You’ve Got it’ mantra to travellers the world over.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background. What inspired you to start Sol de Janeiro?
I drew inspiration from my experience of living in Brazil. At the time, I was pregnant, and the idea of going to the beach in a tiny Brazilian bikini was new to me and challenged my own body confidence. I saw the way Brazilian women felt comfortable in their own skin — in all shapes, sizes, and skin tones – and that inspired me.
When pregnant, I was at the heaviest in my life, but felt so liberated despite wearing the tiniest bikini. This led to the creation of Sol de Janeiro and our brand ethos, “Love it. Flaunt it. You’ve got it.” Our mission is to spread this sense of non-judgment, joy and confidence that I experienced on the beaches of Brazil.
In what ways does Sol de Janeiro celebrate Brazilian culture? What sets Sol de Janeiro apart from other body care brands in the market today?
Sol de Janeiro exists to spark endless self-celebration and joy through the power and warmth of the Brazilian spirit. In Brazil, ‘beautiful’ is not a standard but an attitude. It’s the confidence that stems from feeling good in your skin.
Our brand ethos stems from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, where we accept, embrace, hug and celebrate every body, every curve, every fold and every truth. Treating our skin every day comes as naturally as showering or brushing our teeth. It is more than a daily habit, but an exciting and invigorating part of our day.
What is the key consumer audience you are targeting and how?
Sol de Janeiro speaks to consumers of all ages and gender expressions. Our consumers are passionate about the brand and love our body positivity. They also love how our fragrances make them feel, and how others react to them when they are wearing our fragrances. We invite them to dream and escape. We make self-care an everyday ritual. It is a pleasure and not a chore.
How important is diversity, inclusivity and sustainability to your ethos as a brand? How does Sol de Janeiro help promote body inclusivity?
In Brazil, beauty is everywhere. The colours, scents and sensations that we encounter every day inspire us to embrace diversity and celebrate our unique differences. At Sol de Janeiro, we take our inspiration from the natural richness of Brazil and strive to create beauty products that are both good for your skin and good for the world.
We believe that beauty should be a positive and pleasurable experience that celebrates the uniqueness of every body. Our focus is on creating high-quality beauty formulations that bring joy to your body and enhance your natural beauty.
In 2021, L’OCCITANE acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro – how do you balance being part of a bigger group while still maintaining your voice as an independent brand?
We are thrilled to have found a home with the L’OCCITANE Group, which will to drive our positive growth while allowing us to remain true to our foundations. Through this partnership, we can stay true to the values that our consumers know us for, inclusivity, joy and self-celebration.
While we have grown immensely in recent years, we are proud that many of the team who helped us launch the brand over eight years ago are still with us today. This helps to remind us why we started Sol de Janeiro and inspires us to continue our mission.
Why do you think Sol de Janeiro appeals to customers in the travel retail market?
Our products are effective and travel-friendly, matching the travelling consumers’ mindset & needs. Sol de Janeiro provides essential care for the travelling consumer pre-, during, and post-trip. This includes our body care franchise that promotes deep hydration during their flight to our perfume mist products that serve as excellent post-flight refreshers. All our products have excellent gifting appeal too.
We are particularly popular with the Gen Z shopper, a new consumer profile, which is very welcome in travel retail. In terms of brand DNA, our disruptive stance, vibrant colours and body positivity and inclusivity messaging, are all significant draws. We’ve had a fantastic early success with our travel retail kits such as the ‘Summer Jet Set’ and we have more coming soon.
What are your ambitions in terms of travel retail visibility and distribution and how can you stand out in this channel?
Travel retail offers a unique opportunity to highlight the vitality & distinctiveness of our brand to a global audience. We strive to create connections with our consumers during their travels, which is the ideal environment for them to discover new brands.
Both permanent and temporary visibility is important. Temporary is key so customers can better immerse themselves into our brand and experience our sense of fun and joy. Sol de Janeiro has proven to be a traffic stopper both in the travel retail and local market environments, so we are keen to find more high visibility spaces for our pop-ups and animations. A global roll-out in the local markets is planned as the brand continues to be launched globally.
Body care and haircare are still relatively niche brands in the channel. What opportunities do niche beauty brands have to offer for airports and retailers amidst a changing beauty landscape?
Niche brands create excitement and loyalty with distinctive scents, packaging and formulations that mainstream brands often lack. Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 62 scent — first introduced in the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream in 2015 — help put gourmand scents on the map in the world of prestige beauty and is now the foundation scent of all our travel-friendly body and hair care products.
What does a good partnership look like to you in travel retail? What more can retailers do to enhance the appeal of your beauty category to travellers?
A good partnership in travel retail is one where both the brand and the retailer work together to create a memorable and engaging experience for travellers. This includes understanding the needs and preferences of travellers and tailoring the product selection and marketing efforts accordingly.
It is important to create engaging displays and provide educational materials that highlight the benefits, efficacy and scent stories of our products, while providing a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience. ✈
