2008 Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Sampling and Promotional
L by Gwen Stefani Magazine Insert
by Coty Prestige
Drama unfolds when customers open the magazine insert fragrance sampler for singer Gwen Stefani’s L fragrance, part of her L.A.M.B. collection. Two L-shaped flaps open to reveal a page featuring a picture of a full-size L fragrance bottle in its carton and a foil laminate containing a sample of the perfume. This page lifts up to reveal yet another image, of Gwen Stefani emerging from the fragrance’s carton.
The sampler design was a collaborative effort between Coty Prestige and suppliers Arcade Marketing Inc. and Lehigh Direct. Arcade Marketing assembled the sampler, while Lehigh Direct performed the printing. The insert appeared in the September 2007 issue of Glamour and the October 2007 issue of Vanity Fair.
Diane Crecca, vice president of sales, marketing, and business development for Arcade Marketing, says that the design was inspired by the publications as well as the Coty Prestige Production Group. The sampler’s main goal, she says, was to distinguish the Gwen Stefani fragrance from other perfumes. “It stands out in a magazine,” she says. “Coty Prestige wanted it to pop out at you and wanted something interactive and fun.”
The design seamlessly fits the L.A.M.B. brand, Crecca says, because it emphasizes Stefani’s creativity, unique style, and diverse influences. The presentation of the perfume insert impresses upon readers a shared experience with Stefani, Crecca explains.
The fragrance sample itself is housed in Arcade’s ScentSeal Sampler, a pouch-like vehicle that seals a moist, fragranced, alcohol-based gel between two layers of foil laminate. When opened, the gel can be applied directly to skin for a fragrance trial. “It’s more high-end sampling technology than scent strips,” says Crecca.
Converting the paper for this insert presented challenges because of the insert’s unique shape, Crecca says, but Arcade Marketing had experience from comparable projects. “Our company and Lehigh are known for intricate formatting. The Coty Production Group and the counterparts at Lehigh sat down with their engineers and came up with something quickly,” she says. “It was a collaborative effort.”