INTERNATIONAL. Puig and Paco Rabanne are going for gold once more, with the hotly-anticipated introduction of Lady Million, the feminine counterpart to the group’s hugely successful 1 Million men’s fragrance, which made its debut in 2008.
The women’s scent was unveiled last week in Paris, at a special installation complete with vintage Paco Rabanne dresses, a gold-coloured catwalk and the signature 1 Million safe. It will begin its worldwide roll-out in July.
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Puig’s fragrant new femme fatale: Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million, fronted by Dree Hemingway |
“Since the beginning, we always had the idea of creating a couple, with strong, flamboyant personalities,” noted International Marketing Director Frederic Appaire. “We started with [men’s fragrance] 1 Million, but we had always planned to create a woman to be the perfect counterpart.”
He continued: “What we have not done is produce 1 Million for Her. Lady Million is of course linked to our 1 Million man, but she is not a me-too. She is brilliant in every sense of the word”¦and more than a match for our audacious 1 Million guy, Matt Gordon.”
To understand the Lady Million universe, journalists at the launch event were treated to a mood film, which featured a montage of strong female actresses/characters, followed by a striking 3-D presentation of the bottle and name.
“The name couldn’t merely be “˜1 Million For Her’,” reiterated Appaire. “We liked the “˜Lady’ element for many reasons: it evokes that very British style, and on the other hand is also more excessive and audacious – like the now-famous Lady Gaga. We think it expresses perfectly a balance between elegance, chic, daring and bold.”
Puig also resisted the temptation to feminise the now-famous 1 Million gold ingot flacon. “We needed something stronger than that, with its own personality,” explained Appaire. “Only a diamond can rival gold, and the Lady Million bottle combines both.”
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Journalists enter the gilded universe of Paco Rabanne at the Paris launch of Lady Million |
Designed by trained sculptor Noé Duchaufour-Lawrence (who also made the 1 Million bottle) the Lady Million flacon resembles a multi-faceted diamond, complete with an engraved, golden cap.
Its inspiration was the famous Regent diamond (also known as the Millionaire Diamond), which now resides in the Louvre. The metal cap also serves as a link between Paco Rabanne fragrance and the designer’s iconic metal dresses.
The Lady Million juice was a joint effort by IFF’s Anne Flipo, Béatrice Piquet and Dominique Ropion. It opens on top notes of neroli, bitter orange and raspberry, building to a heart of orange flower absolute and Arabian jasmine absolute, atop a base of honey and patchouli.
“The brief for the fragrance was a shorter version of the mood film you just saw,” nose Flipo tells The Moodie Report. “In particular, I was drawn by Faye Dunaway’s character in the Thomas Crown Affair.
Flipo claims that the juice took 19 months to create, and that 2,500 different versions were trialled before the right formula was reached.
She shrugs: “Yes, there was pressure. There are big expectations for this fragrance, both at IFF and at Puig. But I enjoy this kind of stress. I have learned a lot personally, and know now to follow a strong idea when I have one.”
Flipo dismisses suggestions that working in a trio is harder than going solo. “It is much easier to work with others,” she explains. “Although I am careful to work with perfumers who compliment the smells in my office! Of course, even then, we don’t always agree – in fact, we often fight. But that’s how we progress. We test, we try and that is how we find a good consensus.”
Lady Million will be available as a 50ml and 80ml edp spray, priced at around €52 and €68 respectively in travel retail. The body ancillaries are a shower gel, deo spray and body lotion.
The face of the fragrance is model/actress Dree Hemingway, the grand-daughter of author Ernest Hemingway. “We chose her because she was really different from the classic models, with a strong, dynamic personality, which fitted perfectly the idea of Lady Million,” explained Appaire.
Hemingway features in both print and TV campaigns. The latter will echo the famous finger-snapping of the original 1 Million advertising.
“There is an evident link between the two, but also slight differences,” emphasised Appaire. “Both are shot in black and white, in a cinematographic style, with the constant “˜snapping’.
“But although they are similar, there is a twist,” he affirms. “The 1 Million man clicks his fingers and gets what he wants straightway. Lady Million is a bit more complex. She clicks too – but what she gets is never quite enough.”
Lady Million will make her debut, briefly, in a teaser campaign at the end of the 1 Million masculine ad spot just prior to the July launch. A few weeks after that, the complete feminine TV ad will air, followed by a second spot, a few months after launch, that depicts the way the two “Million” protagonists vie for superiority with each other.
A NEW GOLDEN GIRL
Success often breeds more success, but the weight of expectation following the accomplishments of 1 Million could prove to be a hard act to follow. Is the massive anticipation of Lady Million an encouragement or a concern for Puig?
“In some ways, both,” admits Appaire, during a one-to-one interview with The Moodie Report. “Of course there is pressure, but the fact that all the risks we took with 1 Million paid off gives us confidence for this project.
“We are working closely with the travel retail team to create events that answer the specific requests of the travel retail channel. We understand that people want to see something different at airports. And we want to continue what we started with 1 Million, and be as surprising with Lady Million.” |
Paco Rabanne International Marketing Director Frederic Appaire |
“The attitude and mood about Lady Million is so positive. Everyone has been asking for it, from young girls at the counter to our retail partners. So even though it’s stressful and hard work, there’s a lot of pleasure too.”
1 Million’s success in the travel retail channel has been well documented, and supported by a series of eye-catching items and animations. Will there be a similar strategy to promote Lady Million?
“Of course,” replies Appaire. “We are working closely with the travel retail team to create events that answer the specific requests of the travel retail channel. We understand that people want to see something different at airports. We want to continue what we started with 1 Million, and be as surprising with Lady Million.
“We understand that everything you do around a fragrance is important; it’s no longer just about smelling good, it’s about the complete experience. Puig has developed real story-telling projects, for all its brands.”
He continues: “We are offering entertainment. The way you invite people to experience a fragrance, the quality of the execution, the gift, the environment, how they finally discover and sample the fragrance – it all makes a big difference to the end [sales] result. But it has to be strong from the start.”
As a distribution channel, travel retail in general is proving to be pretty robust for Puig. “Travel retail is very important for us; it represents a very significant level of income for the brand,” acknowledges Appaire.
“And the group recognises the dynamism of the channel, how fast things move and also how qualitative it is. The progress that has occurred within the past five to 10 years is simply unbelievable.”
To celebrate the launch of Lady Million, Puig has joined forces with Aelia to create a gwp that will be exclusive to the retailer’s network. “It’s a very cute necklace with a mini gold diamond, presented in a velour box,” revealed Appaire. “We will promote this on-airport with special displays and outposts.”
The Paco Rabanne profile will be further boosted in July, with the opening of a temporary pop-up shop at London Heathrow Airport terminal three. The outlet will feature the brand’s fragrance, sunglass and watch collections. There will also be an engraving machine to personalise free of charge selected purchases.
