UK. Puig Travel Retail and World Duty Free celebrated the extraordinary success of Paco Rabanne 1 Million, the new men’s fragrance, at a major media gathering at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 on Friday.
The brand company and retailer held a press conference at T3 to showcase an innovative “˜retail-tainment’ concept featuring a giant safe filled with “˜gold ingots’ (resembling the Paco Rabanne 1 Million bottle) in a high-visibility area of World Duty Free’s perfumes & cosmetics department.
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Puig Travel Retail’s Patrick Bouchard (left) and World Duty Free’s Mark Riches celebrate the golden success of Paco Rabanne 1 Million. The model between them is wearing an original Paco Rabanne dress worth €15,000 |
The promotion also features two 42-inch plasma screens to encourage audience interaction. Models are wearing haute couture dresses from Paco Rabanne’s collection for famed singer Francoise Hardy, each valued at €15,000.
The promotion began on 5 November and has been so successful that it has been extended beyond its original cut-off date until the end of December.
Click on the arrow in the video screen to view |
Puig Travel Retail General Manager Patrick Bouchard said: “World Duty Free and Puig Beauty and Fashion are aligned in their strategy to enhance the shopping experience for customers and draw them into a unique retail environment exceeding all expectations.
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Golden moments as World Duty Free staff really enter into the spirit of the Paco Rabanne 1 Million promotion |
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Patrick Bouchard – the I Million man |
“Paco Rabanne 1 Million gave us the perfect platform to launch such an initiative and it is testament to how a partnership approach to retailing benefits suppliers, retailers and indeed the end customer.”
World Duty Free and Alpha Retail CEO Mark Riches told The Moodie Report that Paco Rabanne 1 million is currently the number one SKU across all categories at Terminal 3 – a remarkable achievement for a men’s fragrance. He noted: “This ticks every single box for airport retail – it’s great entertainment, great theatre, great value and a great product. Put all those together and you get great results.
“People often say about retail entertainment that you can’t sell it. This disproves that… but you have to great execution.”
Commercial Director Jo O’Connor said that 1 Million’s success since the promotion began had lifted Paco Rabanne’s sales by +30% for the year to date in T3, compared with total beauty products growth of +8% – a phenomenal performance by a men’s line.
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Mark Riches applauds Paco Rabanne 1 Million initiative |
1 Million has also got off to a hugely successful start in a number of key domestic markets, hitting number one spot in the French, UK and Danish markets, for example, in the weeks after launch. The line has also been launched at Dubai Duty Free and will make its debut with Aldeasa at Barcelona El Prat Airport in early December.
Bouchard told The Moodie Report: “People have been talking a lot about “˜retail-tainment’ and we’re very happy that we have made it happen.
“This is a true partnership with a retailer who understands “˜retail-tainment’ and pushes you to do it… we wanted to stop talking and just do it.”
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World Duty Free T3 staff member Sudesh turns in a glittering gold medal performance in support of the launch |
Commenting on 1 Million’s early success, he said: “Figures talk… we’re number one in many countries and it’s really rejuvenating the brand Paco Rabanne, which is known to be daring and avante gardist.”
He concluded: “We are sitting on a gold mine in the industry. We have been spoiled for a couple of years with a passenger growth rate that is impressive but we still have a penetration rate that is below 10% in some key doors.
“Even though we are going into difficult times, with the amount of consumers we have, we have to make sure we entertain them… with an effort like this we are making it happen.”
BACKGROUND TO 1 MILLION
Gold has long played a role in the Paco Rabanne heritage. Forty years ago, the designer created a dress made with nine kilos of fine gold, inlaid at the collar with 300 carats of diamonds. It was worn by singer Françoise Hardy.
Gold is the symbol of power, royalty, something profoundly virile,” asserted Rabanne. The 1 Million concept harnesses all those quantities, teamed with seduction, fantasy, desire – and bling.
The striking 1 Million bottle, designed by trained sculptor Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, resembles a gold ingot, and is engraved on the front with the 1 Million logo.
The juice – a joint effort between Christophe Raynaud, Olivier Pescheux and Michel Girard – opens on fresh notes of grapefruit, mint and blood mandarin, leading to a heart of rose absolute, cinnamon and spice. The base is described as a velvety harmony of leather, white wood, amber and patchouli.
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The 1 Million-look that is proving a show-stopper at London Heathrow Airport | |
The 1 Million product line-up features 50ml and 100ml edt sprays, priced in travel retail at €37 and €49, respectively. The ancillaries include a 75ml after shave balm (€23), a 100ml after shave lotion (€34), a 150ml shower gel (€18), a 150ml deodorant spray (€17) and a 75ml deo stick (€15).
The black and white advertising campaign features model Matt Gordon, and was shot by (print) Nathaniel Goldberg (and screen) Paul Gore. Gordon’s persona is that of a well-groomed, virile seducer who gets everything he wants with a click of his fingers.
MORE STORIES ON PUIG TRAVEL RETAIL
Puig unveils new flagship fragrance from Prada – 17/09/08
Puig and Paco Rabanne smell like 1 Million – 15/09/08
Puig and Herrera make a summery Splash with 212 – 29/05/08
Puig and Paco Rabanne offer up Ultrared – 12/03/08
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