POP. Bold. Authentic. Irreverent.
INTRODUCING POP
LONDON, 2016-Mar-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — A celebration of individuality, authenticity and adventure, Summer 2016 sees the launch of a new Stella McCartney fragrance, POP. In the moment, bold, and irreverent, POP is the scent of a new generation, who are coming into their own, true to themselves and are about to POP.
THE INSPIRATION
It’s Stella’s philosophy that fragrance and cosmetics should enhance each woman’s unique, inner beauty, not distract or overpower it. POP celebrates a grounded approach to beauty and luxury that pushes the boundaries. This trailblazing attitude is rooted in authenticity and individuality; it’s a liberation from a one-size-fits-all mould.
THE SCENT
POP is bright, modern and irreverent. A unique scent, it combines the vibrant floralcy of tuberose with sandalwood, echoing the multi-faceted character of the new generation of Stella McCartney icons.
POP reinterprets tuberose, chosen for its iconic bold scent, by emphasizing its brighter, crisper, solar floralcy. This newfound vibrancy is balanced with sandalwood; the unexpected combination of the floral and woody notes resulting in an undeniably feminine scent that makes a statement without being overwhelming.
In the house’s continued efforts to find sustainable alternatives to traditional processes, bio-mimicry technology was used in the POP fragrance creation. In comparison to the oil created from processed flowers, the bio-mimicry oil obtained from focusing on the blooming stage of the flower offers a more luminous scent quality, giving POP an unmistakable vibrancy and brightness. Tuberose buds, despite their strong fragrant properties, have a very low oil yield – it takes 3,600 flowers for each gram of absolute oil. Sandalwood, which takes 25 years to reach harvest, has been such in high demand for its oil that it’s now an endangered species. Biomimicry technology prevents the use of resource-intensive processes to extract oil from tuberose flowers, and saves one sandalwood tree for every 2,500 bottlesof fragrance produced.
THE BOTTLE
Inspired by the fragrance’s bold yet balanced attitude, the bottle and cap are combined together into one unexpected arrangement of minimalist shapes.
The fragrance bottle is an inverted version of the faceted STELLA bottle, a subtle nod to POP’s subversion of tradition. The cap, directly inspired by the signature Stella McCartney medallion, strikes a bold note in explosive metallic pink. An innovative integrated spray button on the top of the cap is functional whilst adding a wink of playfulness.
Innovative technology was also used to minimize the environmental impact of the packaging. The companion shower gel and body lotion come with 100% recycled plastic tubes, and The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies all of the collection’s boxes, a guarantee they have originated from sustainably managed forests.
THE CAMPAIGN
POP is about a mindset rather than an individual woman. This is echoed in the campaign and video, which capture the free spirited attitude of the young women who wear it. A celebration of friendship and doing things your own way, the campaign stars four creative talents: musician Grimes (a.k.a Claire Boucher), actress and campaigner Amandla Stenberg, animal activist Kenya Kinski Jones and performing arts student Lourdes “Lola” Leon. Strong on their own, but even stronger together, the girls represent today’s new generation of determined women, and embody a modern liberated approach to beauty.
Both campaign and video were shot in the California desert and follow the four POP muses on a road trip as they embrace their freedom, throw caution to the wind and set off on an adventure. This journey isn’t just literal – these girls are on the verge of big things, about to take on the world and become the women they want to be; these girls are about to POP. They are each in the driving seats of their own lives. Strong-willed, free-spirited, and independent-minded, they’re strengthened by their togetherness.
“Stella spoke a lot about doing something opposite of what fragrance ads have been in the past. That interested me because I love breaking the status quo,” explains the Grammy Award-winning director of the campaign video, Melina Matsoukas. An energetic storyteller who’s helmed videos for Beyoncé and Rihanna, Matsoukas heads up an all-woman team. The result is a film that captures the energy of the POP generation, echoes the authentic, relaxed approach to beauty championed by Stella and disregards the tried-and-tested formula of traditional fragrance films.
Stella McCartney comments “POP is a spirit. It is about capturing and celebrating that very special and exciting time when you are finding yourself and coming into your own. It is about freedom, and starting your life away from judgements or labels. Together as one, these strong young women are a force to be reckoned with.”
Legendary photographer Glen Luchford, renowned for his dramatic photography captured the attitude of four talents coming together. A previous collaborator of the brand, Luchford also worked with and photographed Stella McCartney’s mother, Linda Eastman.
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