Avon Launches 125th Anniversary Celebration
• Avon’s global ambassador Reese Witherspoon joined Avon chairman and CEO Andrea Jung in January to launch the company’s 125th anniversary year with a celebration in Atlanta, GA for more than 5,000 Avon representatives.
The event was part of the 16-city“Avon Believe World Tour” to celebrate the company’s heritage and belief in its mission to empower women. Throughout 2011, approximately 125,000 Avon representatives are expected to participate in the Avon Believe World Tour as it visits Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, Istanbul, New York, Chicago, Mexico City, Warsaw, Moscow, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Manila, Shanghai, New Delhi and Johannesburg. Special guests such as Fergie, Patrick Dempsey, Suze Orman, Zoe Saldana and Yasmin Le Bon are expected to make appearances at many of the events.
During the event in Atlanta, Witherspoon and Jung announced the creation of a new $1 million Avon Global Believe Fund that will launch a pioneering global effort to support women’s domestic violence shelters and agencies in each of the 16 cities on the tour. The Avon Foundation for Women will partner with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) to identify and fund an international network of outstanding nonprofit organizations to help them provide critical life-saving services for victims of domestic violence and their families. This global effort also aims to draw attention to the alarming lack of adequate services for women and children who are victims of domestic violence in communities everywhere.
Avon’s new $1 million commitment is in addition to the company’s previously announced financial donations to other major partners in global efforts to stop violence against women including: the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women; Vital Voices and the U.S. State Department to establish the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women; and Cornell University Law School for the creation of the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice.
“As the company for women, Avon feels an obligation and responsibility to play a leadership role in helping to improve the lives of women around the world, and we truly believe we can make a difference,” said Jung.
• Reveal by Halle Berry is a new, floral woody fragrance that speaks to the iconic beauty’s glamour and confidence while revealing the intriguing complexity of a woman, according to its maker, Coty.
“Halle Berry is one of Hollywood’s greatest treasures but despite her public persona, she remains an enigma. Reveal is about the mystery behind the woman; that indescribable quality that captivates and intrigues us,” said Steve Mormoris, senior vice president global marketing Coty Beauty. It was created in partnership with Richard Herpin of Firmenich.
• Calling all superwomen! To lend a hand to over-extended, multi-tasking mavens, GoodSkin Labs will use its GoodSkin Labs Circle—a group of real women brand ambassadors—to celebrate busy women and provide encouragement, inspiration and tips. The circle will provide life and beauty solutions to help women flawlessly solve some of life’s little daily dilemmas and fit in some well-deserved“me” time.
“As a brand that is dedicated to providing women with solutions that deliver both instant results and long term skin care benefits, it only seems right to help these same women find the instant time-saving tips that will yield them more ‘me’ time in the future,” said Julie Howard, senior vice president, marketing of GoodSkin Labs. “We are now bringing together our products, skin care expertise, and real women ambassadors to help over-extended women, not just look better but feel better.”
A public service announcement, starring video testimonials from the GoodSkin Labs Circle members, will also help raise awareness for the plight of multi-tasking superwomen who need easy tips that allow them to schedule more time to be good to themselves.
More info: www.goodskinlabs.com/circle
• Jennifer Lopez has added “Venus Goddess” to her resume. The actress/singer and global star has been named the first-ever global ambassador for Gillette Venus. Lopez will star in all elements of the brand’s 2011 holistic marketing campaign, supporting the total brand portfolio, including TV and print advertising, public relations, digital, social media and in-store communications.
The campaign also includes her exclusive remake of the iconic Venus song, plus the launch of a new philanthropic effort called the Venus Goddess Fund for Education.
“The Venus brand empowers women and speaks to the ‘goddess’ in every one of us. Every woman is a goddess in her own right when we let our best feminine self shine through. Venus keeps my legs looking beautiful, giving me the confidence to feel just like a goddess,” said Lopez.
According to Gillette, the Venus Goddess Fund for Education will carry the brand’s goddess message to a whole new level by enabling global educational opportunities for women, through partnership with organizations such as CARE International, the Step Up Women’s Network and Lopez’s own Maribel Foundation. Founded by Lopez and her sister, the mission of The Maribel Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of women and children including raising the level of medical care available to them.
“Jennifer is a Venus Goddess in every sense of the word. Our brand celebrates the multi-dimensionality of women, and no one embodies that more than her,” said Sonia Fife, general manager, Global Venus, P&G Beauty. “You’re not just a goddess in the big moments in life, but in the little ones, too. Jennifer shared much of her personal experience as part of this campaign, and she’s every bit a goddess relaxing at home with her children, or performing on-stage, showing off those rock star legs.”
• During National Children’s Dental Health Month, natural personal care leader Nature’s Gate partnered with Radius toothbrushes to offer discounts on both brands’ products via each other’s websites.
Nature’s Gate offered 40% off of a Radius purchase with every Nature’s Gate order placed via www.shopnatures-gate.com. Radius offered 40% off of a Nature’s Gate toothpaste purchase with every toothbrush purchase made via its website.
More info: www.radiustoothbrush.com
• Nine d’Urso is the new face of Bottega Veneta’s first fragrance for women, a yet-to-be-named scent set to be on counters in September. d’Urso is the French-Italian daughter of the French fashion icon Inès de la Fressange and the late Italian businessman and art merchant Luigi d’Urso. The agreement with Coty marks the first time that d’Urso has represented a brand of any kind.
“Nine d’Urso is a natural choice to represent Bottega Veneta’s first women’s fragrance. Not only is she naturally graceful, but she has an innate, almost aristocratic elegance, true to the brand,” said Françoise Mariez, SVP international European marketing licenses, Coty Prestige.
d’Urso has signed on to do print ads for the Bottega Veneta fragrance for a worldwide campaign photographed by Bruce Weber. The Bottega Veneta fragrance, whose name and scent will be announced at a later date, will be on counter in September 2011.
• Shauna-Lea Leger of Ohio and Kelly Gibson Brown of North Carolina have been named grand prize winners of the Glade Design and Shine Contest. Each will receive $10,000 and their designs will be produced and sold in stores nationwide beginning August 2011.
The women’s designs were chosen from more than 100,000 entrants who virtually designed their own Glade Scented Oil Candle Decorative Glass Holder at www.GladeDesignandShine.com.
While Glade fans voted for their favorite designs online, all designs were reviewed based on originality, stylishness and appropriateness to fragrance, and judged by panelists from SC Johnson and Young America. Six additional winners were awarded $750 each.
• Schick Quattro for Women razors has signed on as an official partner of the Katy Perry California Dreams 2011 North American summer tour. Partnering with Katy Perry is part of the Schick Quattro for Women “Dare To Be Spontaneous” promotion which will run through the summer.
The theme of spontaneity is woven throughout all elements, tying to the brand promise that Schick Quattro for Women razors provide a shave so smooth, you could skip a shave or two.
“Schick Quattro for Women is thrilled to be working with Katy. She embodies the brand’s spontaneous spirit which allows women to be ready for everything,” said Christine Galotti, brand manager.
• Coty Inc. has teamed up with supermodel Heidi Klum to develop and market her new signature fragrance, Heidi Klum Shine. The scent is expected to launch in Fall 2011 and will be managed by Coty Beauty.
“I am thrilled to be partnering with Coty on my new fragrance,” said Klum. “Working for a long time on developing a signature scent and watching it finally come to life is so exciting. I never thought my nose would recover from sniffing so many scent combinations but it is all worth it. I want my fragrance to be truly special and head-turning so that people ask the woman who’s wearing it‘What are you wearing? You smell delicious!’"
• Saks Fifth Avenue partnered with Skin Research Laboratories’ to host a special brow consultation event in January at the retailer’s New York City flagship store. Brow expert Heidi Evora-Santiago provided complimentary brow consultations and discussed the benefits of NeuveauBrow, Skin Research’s product that promotes and restores fuller, healthier-looking eyebrows in as little as four weeks with an exclusive formula containing peptides, proteins, vitamins and moisturizers that nourish and condition.
NeuveauBrow launched exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue during the summer of 2010.A 6ml tube retails for $100 and lasts for one to two months with suggested use.
• Avast me hearties...OPI has captured the bright colors and breathtaking escapades seen in Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” in a soon-to-launched, limited-edition nail lacquer of the same name.
“OPI is thrilled to celebrate the latest film in this beloved series,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI executive VP and artistic director. “The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides lacquers were inspired by a world filled with mythical mermaids, gleaming treasure, and high-seas adventure. With shades ranging from sage and lavender to khaki gray and pastel pink, these colors are evocative of a warm, tropical setting with a classic nautical influence.”
The collection, due out in May, includes Skull & Glossbones (a light gray), Mermaid’s Tears (a green), Steady as She Rose (pink), Planks a Lot (purple), Sparrow Me The Drama (cool pink), Stranger Tide (sage) and Silver Shatter, a special two-texture silver.
• P&G has rolled out Mr. Clean with Febreze in two new scents: New Zealand Springs and Hawaiian Aloha. The New Zealand Springs scent is inspired by New Zealand’s south island, and the Hawaiian Aloha scent finds its inspiration in vivid yellow hibiscus, which is the state flower of Hawaii, according to the company.
To support the launch, Mr. Clean will visit Mall of America in Minneapolis and Union Station in Chicago to introduce shoppers to the latest exotic scents. Shoppers will receive a free bottle of one of the new SKUs and also have the opportunity to take a photo with Mr. Clean himself.
• The 2011 TNS Product of the Year USA awards ceremony was held in New York City, and several leading household and personal product companies walked away with accolades. Hosted in 28 countries, Product of the Year is billed as the world’s largest consumer-voted program that recognizes innovation in consumer packaged goods. This year marks the third annual round of Product of the Year in the U.S. with more than 60,000 American shoppers voting on products in a survey conducted by the research agency TNS.
“Consumers are smarter than ever and watching what they spend more intelligently,” said Phil Lempert, the “Supermarket Guru,” who was on hand at the event. “Even though mobile devices and social networks offer just about every product review possible, it is still the‘human’ social network that is the most powerful. With over 60,000 shoppers voting on the most innovative for a Product of the Year award, there is not a better recommendation.”
The following products were voted Product of the Year in their categories: Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick Stainguard Antiperspirant Deodorant by Colgate-Palmolive (personal care);Aquafresh Iso-Active Whitening by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (toothpaste); Listerine Zero by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. (mouthwash); Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions by Procter & Gamble (hair care); Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions Stylers & Treatments by Procter & Gamble(hair styling); Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor by Procter & Gamble (male grooming);Air Wick Air Freshener from Reckitt Benckiser (air care); Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System from Reckitt Benckiser (personal hygiene); Raid Max Bug Barrier by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (insecticide); MD Lash Factor Eyelash Conditioner from La Canada Ventures, Inc. (cosmetics); and no!no! Hair 8800 by Radiancy, Inc. (at-home beauty treatment).
• A study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona, in partnership with The Clorox Company, found that plenty of bacteria are enrolled at schools across the country.To help teach healthy habits that help prevent the spread of germs, Clorox has created Clorox Classrooms, a teacher-focused website developed with education experts that provides tools and resources to help reinforce healthy habits in the classroom and in the home.
The website features new curriculum, including science-focused lesson plans, take-home activities and whiteboard activities for grades K-2 and 3-5 that were developed by teachers for teachers, meet national educational standards and use the latest classroom technologies to make learning about germs and hygiene exciting and fun for kids.
In addition, Clorox invited eligible K-5 teachers to visit Clorox Classrooms to enter the Free Books Sweepstakes for a chance to win a 50-book prize package for their classrooms.
“We believe these new tools will help teachers make learning about cleanliness through science-based curriculum both fun and interactive,” said Laura Yost, group manager for public relations at The Clorox Company.“Students will learn how to help prevent the spread of germs with educational handouts, videos and books, and by working together to conduct grade-specific science experiments and report on their findings.”
According to Clorox, some of the surfaces in schools with the highest number of bacteria include desks, pencil sharpeners, cafeteria tables and water fountains.
• Women’s wear fashion label Nada enlisted a ScanLife-wearing, groove-dancing flash mob to kick off its new fragrance. Nada Dancing Day took to the streets of Toronto with more than 60 dancers, and 1980s-style boom box, the Rolling Stones and new fragrance vial samplers sporting mobile-app-friendly barcodes.
According to Nada Shepherd, creative director and founder of the self-named women’s wear label, “the Nada signature fragrance is for women who are looking for something a little edgy, a little interesting, and a flash mob builds into an amazingly exciting personal experience, just like our fragrance.”
Blended by custom perfumery Aromachology, the Nada fragrance is available in the new pop-up store in Toronto’s Bayview Village and online across North America at www.NADAdesigns.com for $149 per 100ml/3.4oz bottle.
More info: www.NADAdesigns.com
• The BobCar—billed as America’s first Mobile Beauty Boutique—made its debut at the Personal Care Products Council 2011 Annual Meeting at the end of February. So, what exactly is it? The BobCar Mobile Beauty Boutique is a zero-emission electric vehicle placed in highly-trafficked areas where people can speak with trained brand ambassadors, try the latest colors, smell new fragrances and experiment with beauty care products. It offers a new way to involve consumers whenever they leave their homes, office, entertainment centers or just make the street scene, according to its creator.
“Our patented BobCars have already increased sales figures up to 200% in past campaigns with some of our Technology-based clients. That’s real selling power, and we are fully synergistic with the local stores’ efforts.A definite win-win for all concerned,” said Benjamin Cohen, founder and president of BobCar Experiential Media/
In addition, Cohen, has tapped Annette Green, president emeritus of The Fragrance Foundation, as BobCar’s “Beauty Brand Spokesperson."
• Maybelline New York rolled out a new website that gives users innovative ways to explore products, lessons, videos and educational content using engaging and multi-faceted search tools, according to the company. This is the first time Maybelline is using multi-faceted search in its “Explorer” tools, located throughout the site experience to help users discover all the brand has to offer and find which products and trends are best for them.
The new Maybelline.com will inspire and connect with the most discerning of beauty consumers by showcasing a unique, fashion forward brand point of view. The site’s NYC365 section will have an editorial feel, with new content updated daily.
“Maybelline’s new website is our first and most important step toward a new consumer-centric digital ecosystem,” said Sebastian Simpson, director of global digital media and internet for Maybelline New York. “Content, engagement and innovation will continue to fuel our digital footprint as our upcoming efforts will focus strongly on social and mobile.”
“Consumers desire and demand more than just product information,” said Kristen Yraola, assistant vice president of digital media and internet for Maybelline New York-Garnier-Essie. “We want Maybelline.com to be their go-to online beauty resource. The site experience is more editorial, with new content updated daily that is based on trends from the street as well.”
• During the NFL Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, skin care expert and celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau was bouncing around the finest hotels pampering celebrity skin. Rouleau was also involved at the ultra-chic Style Icon Super Bowl Gifting Lounge hosted by“Modern Family” beauty Sofia Vergara at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel. The exclusive event attracted the best celebrities, sports legends and the world’s most influential guests that were in Dallas for the Big Game. Renée met with and gifted her Triple Berry Smoothing Peel to Vergara, Taylor Armstrong from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Rebecca Mader from “Lost” and Joe Manganiello from “True Blood.”Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were also gifted with Renée Rouleau Skin Care products.
• Online voting is taking place for Tom’s of Maine’s annual Dental Health for All (DHFA) program at www.tomsofmaine.com. A public vote will decide which five mobile dental clinics will split $100,000 to help grow and support programs that offer critical, easy-to-access dental care to those in need.
With DHFA, Tom’s of Maine is working to make a significant impact in reaching families and individuals who are going without dental coverage or who are unable to afford a yearly exam. In 2011, the company is focusing on “Goodness to Go,” bringing funding and services directly to the people who need it most via mobile dental programs.