L'Oreal in advert dispute
Don't believe all you hear, so the saying goes, nor should you believe all you read and see. Especially when it concerns fashion's advertisements. That fashion campaigns resemble fictitious beauty comes as no surprise, and most readers accept this with a pinch of salt. When 50-something actress Sharon Stone models for Dior, most readers know the image will have been retouched to an inch of the model's life. This is generally accepted when the advertisement concerns a perfume, accessory or ready-to-wear. However, when it comes to beauty, it's altogether a different story.
Cosmetics giant L'Oreal, whose latest ads feature Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz, has been reprimanded by British advertising watchdogs for its 'misleading' mascara advertisements. The TV and magazine adverts promoting L'Oreal's new Telescopic mascara claim the product boosts the length of women's eyelashes by up to 60 per cent. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was forced to step in after it was discovered the acting beauty had been wearing additional false eyelashes for the shoot.
A spokesman for L'Oreal says, "It is common industry practice to make use of some artificial lashes in order to ensure a consistent lash line under filming or shooting conditions - the ASA had previously accepted on more than one occasion that this industry practice was not misleading." L'Oreal has been ordered to clarify the discrepancy and place a disclaimer on all future Telescopic advertising campaigns.
www.loreal.com
27 July 2007
Davidoff signs Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor is to be the face of the new men's Davidoff fragrance, as signed by Coty Prestige. McGregor will star in the TV spot and print ads for the worldwide Davidoff campaign. Francoise Mariez, senior vice president of international European marketing licenses of Coty Prestige, stated: “Ewan McGregor is a natural choice to represent Davidoff's new male fragrance…Not only is he one of the most talented actors of his generation, but he also has a charisma and an authenticity that will be very important for the new Davidoff fragrance.”
McGregor is the latest to join Davidoff's star-studded cast. The brand this year signed on actor Josh Holloway to be featured in an ad campaign for its Davidoff Cool Water fragrance franchise in the summer.
www.davidoff.com
19 July 2007
Gwen Stefani to launch L.A.M.B. fragrance
Another celebrity, another fragrance. Gwen Stefani is launching a perfume for her L.A.M.B. fashion and accessories line. Stefani says of her deal with Coty Inc., announced this week, is a sign that her success with L.A.M.B. (an acronym for Love Angel Music Baby) isn't fleeting. "It's very prestigious as a designer to have a fragrance. It's a milestone with L.A.M.B., and I don't want L.A.M.B. to go away. The fragrance makes it feel real, like it'll be here for a little while," Stefani told The Associated Press in an interview.
"The whole L.A.M.B. thing is pretty greedy. I'm making it all for me," she said. "The goal with this fragrance is that I'll wear it and have endless bottles of it." Stefani's fragrance, which hasn't yet been named, will debut next fall. Coty also produces fragrances for Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker.
www.l-a-m-b.com
22 June 2007
Clive Owen the new face Lancome
On screen he is the epitome of masculine ruggedness, an actor renowned for his smouldering looks and tough guy leads, and in his latest role he is the new 'face' of Lancome Homme. The British actor will receive £2.5million for promoting the cosmetics line - which includes scientific skincare products such as plankton-infused wrinkle cream, 'invigorating' cleansing gel and smooth face scrub. Lancome's roster of 'faces' includes Sir Mick Jagger's daughter Lizzie, American actress Uma Thurman, Spanish starlet Ines Sastre and German beauty Diane Kruger - who played Helen in Troy .
According to the Mail on Sunday, a Lancome insider said they hoped Owen's input would encourage men to be more open about buying skincare products. "The company thinks he's fabulous, he's very manly looking," the source said. "He'll be huge for the heterosexual market. "He's getting a giant fee but the men's skincare market is exploding. Suddenly it's become OK for real men to care about how they look.
"We're not just talking a line that will sell to older men. Young men are starting to buy these products early because they want to take care of their skin as much as women do." The company's PR spokeswoman Samdrine Diagara told The Mail on Sunday: "The deal is not yet signed and it's very confidential so all I can tell you is we are planning a major, major advertising campaign for Homme, our men's skincare and anti-ageing line."
Brazil grows in beauty market
Brazil had the world's fourth largest cosmetics and toiletries market last year, up from sixth place and beating both Germany and the UK, according to market researcher Euromonitor.
The country saw 34.2% growth last year to $13.8bn, easily outstripping the 8.2% global growth, and is expected to reach third place soon given predictions for 20%-plus growth this year and beyond.
The US currently tops the table, with Japan in second place and France third.
19 May 2006
Molton Brown bought by Japanese cosmetics firm
Molton Brown, the maker of fashionable luxury consumer products sold in more than 70 countries, is on the verge of being sold to Kao Corporation, the Japanese cosmetics giant, in a £170m deal.
Molton Brown products including bath, body, skin and hair care products as well as cosmetics, leather goods and homeware, are sold in leading international department stores such as London's Selfridges and New York's Barneys. It also trades from 37 standalone sites in the UK.
10 July 2005
L'Oreal invests in Korea
L'Oreal, the worlds biggest cosmetics company, is expected to invest greatly in Korea. In terms of sales, the company suffered a number of setbacks during the past year, as did other companies. Klaus Fassbender, president of L'Oreal Korea, said: "We will invest more aggressively in our brand portfolio and stay fully committed to Korean consumers and our Korean employess."
He added: "The market goes in cycles. We have a strong belief that the Korean market will come back, if we provide innovative and exceptinal products at a competitive price to Korean consumers." L'Oreal has 5 percent of the Korean cosmetics market, compared with 15 percent of the global cosmetics market.
Demonstrating the company's commitment to the Korean market, it opened the world's larget Lancome boutique in Chongdam-dong, an area of Seoul where most of the luxury brands are situated, last July.
www.loreal.com
22 March 2005
L'Oreal to launch men's cosmetics
L'oreal is set to board the men's grooming bus with an antiaging series called Men's Expert, a venture that is believed to be the mass market's first collection of antiaging skin care products for men.
Rob Robillard, senior vice president of marketing for L'Oréal Paris, said, "Twenty percent of men use skin care today. Another one-third are the men who are on the cusp." Summing up men's trends, he continued, "Half of the male population is either using or considering using skin care. So, it's a huge opportunity."
At least three of the eight L'Oréal Paris Men's Expert items address wrinkles, in addition to targeting specific age groups.
4 March 2005
Lancôme Unveils New Beauty Range
Beauty brand Lancôme has provided the first glimpse of its new spring-summer collection, its first by Lancôme's new international artistic director Gucci Westman. Inspired by an eclectic range of sources from classic films to peacock feathers, the collection called Spring-Summer 2005 in French Riviera by Gucci Westman, the first for a beauty brand by the US-based makeup artist, claims to offer a modern take on old-style glamour.
"When thinking about the collection, I thought about the women I adore the most-Grace Kelly for example-but I wanted to do a modern interpretation [of this], so it is not retro but has a more feminine feeling," Westman explained at a presentation in Paris. "I knew I wasn't allowed to do everything at once and I didn't want to change everything. I wanted to incorporate my own ideas and add a little bit of playfulness." Promoted by American actress Drew Barrymore, the collection will launch internationally in January at all Lancôme points-of-sale, priced from £12.50 to £50.
20 October 2004
The Lipstick Factor
A new phenomenon, called The Lipstick Index, is gaining headlines with the Wall Street Journal and The New York times. In the economic downturn since 9/11, spending on luxury goods fell sharply. The interesting factor is that lipstick sales went up by 11 per cent.
The answer being that when times are tough, women stop splashing out and treat themselves to a new lipstick instead. "When lipstick sales go up, women don't want to buy dresses," Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder recently stated. Oddly enough, the effect is not repeated with other cosmetics - only a new lipstick, it seems, puts the smile back onto a woman's face.
6 September 2004
Dutch Cosmetics Co Rituals Debuts In UK
Rituals, the Dutch cosmetics and homewares retailer, is to expand into the UK with an initial five store opening, after which it plans to open an ambitious 30 stores in a year roll-out plan.
The company, owned by Dutch entrepreneur Raymond Cloosterman, has a strong international presence, with shops and department store concessions in countries including Holland, Germany and Belgium. The retailer claims to be the first to 'combine home and body cosmetics' with a product offer grouped around domestic routines such as washing up, cleaning your teeth and drinking tea.
The 175-strong rituals branded offer ranges from skincare products to teas, toothpaste and dishwasher tablets.
Martin Bloom, managing director of consultancy Insight Retail, is co-ordinating the project. A partner is being sought to take the franchise-based expansion model forward.
Bloom told Retail Week that Rituals is a "total wellness concept", pitched in quality and price between Body Shop and Molton Brown.
11 June 2004