Partygram!: Issey Miyake Pleats Please Fragrance by Luxasia

Dancers as part of the ad campaign

The event was held at Tangs. This was not for a new launch as the product has been in the market for a few months.  This was a publicity drive, tied to the relaunch of Tang's renovated beauty floor.  So I will be writing more about the event.

It called for guests to come in primary colors.  The invitations were presumably capitalized on the Tangs Card mailing list.  The guests who turned up seemed suspiciously not within the intended demographics.

If brand image was important, the guests did not seem 
to match the profile

There was champagne, mocktails and finger food, served by some very polite waiters.  If the intention was to make it appear posh, it was a valiant attempt.  I enjoyed how fashion exclusivity could be so democratic.  Now the masses can enjoy a sense of what the fashion community and media supporters take for granted.

It didn't last long, just a little over an hour.  The host played a spot quiz game that was a little clumsy as it made the guests mark each other's score cards, which was quite awkward.  I had a kiasu Caucasian lady who kept trying to make sure we marked her scores correctly.  She also spoke about the background of the brand and the product, mispronouncing French names and English words along the way, but the guests didn't mind or notice.

Still, the star of the show was the fragrance.  The host rattled off fast facts, much of which has been in public knowledge for a while.  A sample:

• first to involve models in its advertising campaigns
• the first to reflect Miyake's fashion collection
• the bottle reflects aesthetics of Miyake's Bao Bao bags
• the scents come in 30ml, 50ml, and 100ml sizes.

The beautifully crafted bottle

Miyake is an Asian designer that has a signature aesthetic that many have tried to emulate.  It puts him on a different scale on the world design stage.  I wondered if doing the beauty floor event was a good reflection of the brand and whether there could have been a different way of handling it.  Perhaps in a more controlled environment, or a tie up with Club 21 to have the event in a Miyake boutique (brand reinforcement).  

Also, when the host said "I am surprised by the turn out", it did not exactly bode well for the product and brand.  Yes, it was intended to be a positive, that the crowd turn out was more than expected.  However the opposite interpretation was also reasonable. Perhaps though, to protect the integrity of the brand, the turn out (which by the way, was not overwhelming in numbers) could have been glorified as loyal support for a distinguished brand.  Luxury Brand Management 101.

Breaking the dress code of coming
in primary colors