L'Occitane en Provence is returning to its roots and the spirit of the 1960s. The cosmetics company is launching a new virtual boutique for the festive season. Its ambition is to strengthen customer interaction with its products by celebrating the spirit of sharing inspired by this time of year. This new virtual experience has been developed by Emperia. Designed in partnership with British illustrator Steven Wilson, it will be available from 1 November on the Emperia website.
A "boutique" chalet to recreate a festive atmosphere
"It's a dream journey, like a chalet, where they can explore the true origins of the L'Occitane brand. The olive tree is a symbolic and traditional tree of Provence and our wish was to bring these traditions back to our customers. The festive season is pure magic, and we want our customers to experience the enchantment of L'Occitane and Provence," explains Mariana Rodrigues, Marketing Director of L'Occitane Middle East.
Special attention paid to the art of gift wrapping
The experience is an opportunity to learn about the art of gift wrapping. Visitors will find gift-wrapping elements scattered throughout the space. As they locate the products, they will be offered different personalisation options (tissue paper, motifs on the boxes, etc.). At the end of this "mini" game, an animation shows the customer their personalised box and rewards them with a special gift from L'Occitane.
A collaboration with British artist Steven Wilson
The motifs illustrating the Christmas collection were created in partnership with Steven Wilson, a UK-based artist whose illustrations reflect joy, with a design that is both retro and contemporary. S. Wilson has already worked with major brands such as Nike, The Oscars, Virgin and MTV.
A shopping experience aimed at a new generation of buyers...
"Today's users are more demanding when it comes to their online shopping experience. They expect a much more personalised and interactive experience that reflects the brand's values and elevates the shopping experience to reflect their own needs, desires and preferences," says Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of Emperia. "Virtual shops [...] meet this great need expressed by a new generation of shoppers to get to know the retailer better, significantly improving brand loyalty and the online shopping experience.