L'Oréal Interwiev

What was your project about?
My team had to re-launch a collection of fragrances and focus on the magical elements of the brand’s heritage. We decided to focus on this in order to create something spectacular and unique that was true to the brand while going against “industry rules”. Our main goal was to delight and excite our client with the product as well as the concept behind it!

How did you apply creativity?
We first analyzed the whole concept of a fragrance and the reasons why one wears perfume. By doing this we studied the relationship the user has with the product and what it really means for them. We realized that when one wears a perfume it becomes a signature and felt that for such a characterizing product the interaction was quite impersonal; you (usually) spray it and wait for it to land on your skin. So, by using the users interaction with the product as a starting point, we could potentially end up with a truly unique concept that would have the same function but through a different application.

Did you enjoy working with your team?
As we had all worked together on other projects before, we were already acquainted with our way of working. This resulted in a very pleasant environment that was fuelled by our main goal: fully explore our creativity without any limitations. I particularly enjoyed the relaxed interaction that was the result of everyone being less hesitant to contribute unconventional ideas. Besides some sleepless nights, we worked hard and were very excited about our ideas and the final concept!

Do you think you met L’Oreal’s expectations?
On one hand I think the result was very strong in terms of consistency, innovation and story. We wanted the concept to be new for the brand, unique for the market and relevant for the customer while keeping the essence of the fragrance collection in mind. On the other hand I think our concept might have deviated a little too far from the brand’s current product portfolio thus creating a mismatch between the brand and proposed concept.

What did you most like about this project?
The fact that we had carte blanche to develop a concept motivated us to show L’Oreal what we were capable in terms of creativity and imagination. We all believed in our concept and this created a strong and positive energy around the whole project. This was not only related to us as a team but also to the other teams in our class, since it was a competition all groups were careful not to share any details of their project until the presentation day. All in all, the most rewarding feeling was the fact that the result of this project is not the output of one person’s imagination but from a group.

What was your project about?
The project was about analysing the performance of a real fragrance collection of Lancôme and presenting an innovative proposal, in-line with the brand’s Vision.

How did you apply creativity?
My team applied creativity starting with a "brainstorm session" around values and characteristics of the Lancôme world, and comparing them to what the brand wants to be in the future. After that, we reflected the results through the creation of a new product, with new features in the mode and occasion of use, a new packaging and a strong communication strategy, all coherent with Lancôme’s Vision.

Did you enjoy working with your team?
I truly enjoyed working with my team, as we were four different nationalities, four different backgrounds, but with the common goal of creating something new and powerful. We delivered a consistent and rich proposal, in-line with the project's goals.

Do you think you met L’Oreal’s expectations?
L’Oreal looks for innovation and differentiation factors, but has always in mind the impact of the new product in the market and its financial viability. Our proposal was recognised by L’Oreal has the one that best met their expectations both in terms of creativity and feasibility.

What did you most like about this project?
I enjoyed applying my knowledge and background in a new industry (the fragrances) and working with a team that challenged me all the time.