FRANCE. In our new video series ‘Moodie Davitt Video View’, we bring you exclusive on-the-ground coverage from the most innovative brands in travel retail straight from the industry’s most important events.
In this edition, The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan-Gillies caught up with Elizabeth Arden Vice President EMEA Prestige, Digital and Travel Retail Frédéric Laffort and Revlon President International Charles Waters at their exhibition space in Cannes to discuss new products from the brand and its commitment to travel retail.
Elizabeth Arden’s exhibition space at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes paid tribute to the brand’s New York heritage and its commitment to empowering women, with the Elizabeth Arden Red Door a focal point.
It was a call back to the red door featured in founder Elizabeth Arden’s original salon in Fifth Avenue, New York. Today, the Red Door symbolises the brand’s commitment to empowering women from all walks of life with beauty.
In travel retail, Elizabeth Arden is putting a renewed focus on skincare, particularly on its best-selling Ceramide capsules.
The brand revealed several products at the Cannes show including its newest innovation, the Retinol + HPR single-dose Ceramide Capsule, the latest addition to its Eight Hour skincare collection. It also showcased the White Tea Eau Florale Eau de Parfum.
Laffort said: “We are putting a constant focus on skincare. Elizabeth Arden was born as a skincare brand, so the focus is on skincare.
“Anti-ageing is one of the biggest categories in skincare and our Ceramide Capsule collection is a leader in this space. We’re also launching an amazing collection called HPR+ Retinol, which delivers anti-ageing benefits within seven days. It’s going to be quite powerful in the market and we have very high expectations for this new innovation.”
Waters added: “Elizabeth Arden plays an extremely important role for us. We are a beauty company. We have different brands in different channels but Elizabeth Arden is our premium prestige brand with a powerful multi-axis portfolio in skincare, makeup and fragrance. These three pillars will help us master the luxury and prestige beauty market.”
Laffort also emphasised the need to bring new retail experiences for travellers, as exhibited by the brand’s colourful Travel With Arden campaign. He said: “We are in a category which is all about product benefits but we know that in travel retail, you need to create an experience with plenty of excitement.
“When you have one hour before boarding, you don’t just want to see a product, you want to see an experience so that is what we have achieved with the Travel With Arden campaign, which is something that we will continue to do in the coming years. The campaign is about creating an atmosphere which is going to inspire consumers to come and buy the brand.”
The Travel With Arden campaign is designed to build awareness for the brand among both new and existing customers, with a major focus on sampling. It incorporates playful travel motifs, Sense of Place elements, retailtainment and sampling and has popped up in key travel retail locations globally including Hainan with China Duty Free Group and Alicante with Avolta.
Waters added: “Travel retail is really important. It showcases our brands in a special environment. It is also important because of the growth that we had in the past. Unfortunately, in the past three years, we have seen a lot of issues in the channel.
“We’re seeing a strong recovery and so we’re extremely excited. It’s a dynamic industry and very important for us as it is a growth lever, but also as a way of delivering excitement, fun and innovation to consumers around the world.”
In line with its commitment to empower women all over the world, Elizabeth Arden has an ongoing partnership with The Moodie Davitt Report called Through the Red Door. The column honours inspiring women in travel retail whose personal and professional stories make them deserving of industry recognition. Click here to read the latest edition which features Duty Free World Council President Sarah Branquinho.
Talking about the values that underpin the Elizabeth Arden brand and the ethos behind the Elizabeth Arden Red Door, Waters added: “The Red Door is a very important symbol for the brand. It represents the first Red Door Spa that was opened by Elizabeth Arden and brings back that heritage of spa services into our skincare brand. It is also the symbol of a woman opening her own spa a hundred years ago, amidst very difficult circumstances. We are linked and bonded to the Red Door.” ✈
