Intimission

Creative Agency: ARMBRAND studio
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Packaging Content: Fragrance
Location: Belarus

How to ramp up perceived value – a near-scandalous perfume experience by ARMBRAND studio.

How to create a U-turn in the branding practices of a whole country? ARMBRAND studio changes the common approach to branding of perfume in Belarus. And we start with a provocation. Ready for the sexiest perfume ever?

Belarusian brands rarely fall into a luxury persona. The majority of them are affordable and of a rather good quality. There are side effects to these. It is barren and secondary. As for perfumery and cosmetics, products are pretty much homogenous in their positioning. Many products are mimicking the well-known brands.

We have been lucky enough to work with a partner who (even during the recession) is at the cutting edge of these marketing activities. Dilis Parfum have always been working on making brands of their products.

Last winter the Dilis Marketing Director turned to our agency with an idea of a scandalous and overtly sexy perfume named Intimission. The product range features Uno (18+), Due (18++) and Tre (18+++). To be used in the relevant situations. The main message is in realizing you are a goddess.

Everything started with the bottle. Before the actual work we had been scanning the shops for an ideally sexy perfume bottle: touching, sniffing,.. But everyone has their own sexy. That’s why there are no clear badges – just mild hints and feelings. There are several layers of perception. The first one is quite innocent: a bell, a dress. The deeper one sees all female curves, even the most intimate ones.

Most shelves in perfumery departments of Belarusian stores look dense and mottled.

There are few products which are notable and attract attention. Intimission should be one of them. A sure-fire way to reach this is to create a big and bright spot. Minimum colors, maximum contrasts.
How to convey sexuality? Bold, overt, even loose. We have tried on stockings, minimalism, neon signs, female curves.

We have chosen lips as an image which undoubtedly conveys sexiness. Bright-colored lips against black and white background will surely be noticed.

Three packs tell quite an obvious story. In the first instance only the expressions of lips distinguished the packs within the range – by the intensity of emotions. However, to underline the difference we added different lipstick colors. Pink – for the lightest fragrance, deep red – for the deepest one. The same logics was applied to the bottle. The glass was colored with gradients between black and the relevant color.

The lips were the solution to two more tasks. First, the logo.

We have settled with the character of the typeface straight away: elongated, solid with no embellishments. We only needed a zest. So ‘O’ turned into lips.

Secondly, the customer wanted an accessory on the bottle.

We went through different variants: from the Venus symbol to a whip.

But the lips put everything in their places.

Technically, we only had a couple of problems to be solved. The casket shaped box with a velvety surface reminds of a jewelry box. It adds to the perceived value of the product. But the two parts of the box are not connected to each other. Than we conceived another piece where the box is inserted into. But it is not merely a practical decision. The process of opening a newly purchased thing makes everyone a bit happier. There is a point in prolonging it.

Another thing is that the bottle on the shelf is in front of the package. Where shall we place the logo in order to keep it visible? As a result, we placed the logo vertically and sidewise. The box is rather wide, it increases the costs, but the visibility and attractiveness are also raised.

The product might become a brand when it is self-consistent. Particularly, its looks meet its inner qualities, its core, the perception of the target audience, a certain culture. Intimission is a product of such kind, one of the first such products on the Belarusian market in this category.

All these intrinsic brand qualities and a fancy packaging increase the perceived and, hence, customer value. It is an off-beat path in the current market environment. The marketing communications shall follow up the product launch and, we hope, break the new ground for Dilis Parfum.

Whatever you see in the packaging, Intimission is ready to follow its provocation to the end. Are you?