Display & Design Ideas - June 2009 - (Page 10)

10 | Newsworthy | Headlining Henri Bendel hosts Living Perfume exhibit N ew York’s infamous Henri Bendel unveiled an interactive pop-up exhibit, dubbed Living Perfume: the Natural Alchemy of Mandy Aftel, from April 18-May 11. On the third ﬂoor of Bendel’s landmark Fifth Avenue building, the exhibit featured the perfume, craft and collection of natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, as well as some of her research, writings and personal library of rare books, graphics and artifacts. With an intimate, art-gallery vibe, the space explores “the authentic beauty of fragrances that come directly from nature, shown on a continuum from the raw materials themselves, through the essential oils, to the ﬁnished perfume, all illustrated by perfumer Mandy Aftel’s world-renowned collection of historical natural perfume design,” according to a statement from the company. The exhibit was designed for consumers to experience a perfume deconstructed—being able to smell Aftel’s Parfum de Maroc’s essences as individual notes, as combined chords and as a ﬁnished perfume. Living Perfume was originated and produced by Sensory Runway, while Brandimage - Desgrippes & Laga was responsible for the design and strategy in conjunction with Heller Communication Design and several other specialist ﬁrms. Intended to mirror various elements of Aftel’s perfume, the experiential design combines layers and eco-materials to create a sense of beauty and mystery. “Henri Bendel is such a vibrant and complete environment that the challenge we faced was how to disrupt the environment in a way that would draw people to the third ﬂoor and into the exhibit from that glorious atrium, and then enthrall them with Mandy’s art and the journey inside,” says Jeremy Dawkins, executive creative director of Brandimage - Desgrippes & Laga. To capture the attention of Bendel’s discerning patrons, sculptural forms made from smooth, silhouetted layers of white sustainable eco-board lure eyes toward the exhibit. The sculptural forms suggest “the sensuality of natural elements— trees, stone formations, a forest path—while paralleling the layers of perfume and invoking the mystery and beauty of scent. The space is designed to ‘impose’ itself into the store environment in the way that a tree would grow on a busy urban street.” —JESSIE BOVE, MANAGING EDITOR Henri Bendel hosts an interactive pop-up exhibit at its Fifth Avenue ﬂagship in New York. | Technology Virtual shopping, real results D espite the ﬂash-in-the-pan success of mediums like Second Life, marketers are ﬂocking to virtual reality—for research purposes. Computerized store simulations—where consumers “shop” in on-screen environments that look very close to the real thing—are now standard for the larger packaged goods ﬁrms like Procter & Gamble (P&G), Frito-Lay, ConAgra and Intel, which have been using them for years. But now, there are several factors speeding up the adoption of virtual reality shopping research among smaller players, including better technology, lower prices, the expanded use of brainwave and EKG measurements on consumers to hone results, more emphasis on shopper marketing and the ubiquity of broadband. While ﬁrms like P&G tend to do such simulations in-house, Chicago-based market research | June 2009 Photos: Brandimage - Desgrippes & Laga

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Display & Design Ideas - June 2009

Display & Design Ideas - June 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Consumer Insights
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Marketing & Branding Super Section
Channel Focus: Cosmetics/Beauty
Liz Claiborne
Shopper Insights
Logos: Then & Now
Starbucks
POP Products
T&T
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

Display & Design Ideas - June 2009