Well, sometimes you bump into campaigns that are so inspiring, you just want to write about it. Colette is an inspirational brand to a lot of us in the lifestyle, retail and fashion segment. But honestly, it’s a brand that all B2C brands around the world can learn from. Let me tell you why.

Founded in 1997 by Colette Rousseau and her daughter Sarah Andelman, Parisian store Colette has quickly become an institution in the Paris’ fashion retail landscape.  They know how to play the retail game by delivering the right customer experience instore and online: Colette has the right brands, creates the right atmosphere and play the right marketing game. Their branding is on point and so is their social media, with almost a million followers on Instagram alone.

20 years anniversary

This year they celebrate their 20 years anniversary. The visionary boutique has come up with 20 limited edition products designed in collaboration with 20 different labels, including: limited edition Nikes, Dr Martens and  Converse shoes, Solari Alarm clocks, Komono watches and Le Cord chargers/wires. A compilation of 20 items to mark the store’s 20 years from 1997 to 2017. With between just 20 and 200 pieces of these collector’s items available, they take limited edition to a new level.

Events as a marketing tool

But the best is to be found in the side events. Some days before the celebrations began Ikea transformed the water bar into an exclusive collaboration spot, combining Swedish democratic designs with the art and fashion spirit of colette. Outside the store, colette invites all its customers to a free ride at “The Beach”, an installation designed by Snarkitecture at Museé des Arts Décoratifs using everyday materials from scaffolding to paneling and mirrors to create an enclosure with a sloped floor that leads to an ocean of over 300,000 recyclable plastic balls.

“I couldn’t think of one more party, one more dinner. This way it will be open to public, free entrance. It’s a bit crazy but I think it reflects what we like to do at Colette. To surprise. To bring happiness.”- Sarah Andelman

“Colette is Twenty” is another crossover event, in collaboration with Twenty, a magazine/blog made by and for 16-25 year-olds. The publisher is hosting three masterclasses on art, communication, and fashion featuring talents like Jean Charles de Castelbajac, or Lacoste’s Felipe Oliveira Baptista.

Since the launch of the campaign in March, not only are they featured in different relevant media on and offline, but images also exploded all over social media: pictures of influencers in a bath of plastic balls, happy customers and ‘limited editions’ cravings.

So, what exactly can we learn from Colette?

1. First of all celebrate: it sounds obvious, but we encounter a lot of discussions if a x-years celebration is a reason to do anything campaign wise. The answer is yes. A celebration is a relevant moment, a happy feeling, a moment to capture the attention of your customer. It really says something about your company’s credibility and experience and people (=customers) always want to be part of something positive and fun.
2. Define your celebration campaign in line with your values: Colette is best known for their ability to build the right experience, for their collabs and their ability to curate. And they just played with that in an effective way. This campaign not only celebrates their 20 year anniversary but also builds on their brand reputation. Meaning, it will bring a return on investment in sales too as their brand awareness increases and people know: Colette is still in the game.
3. Always think 360 degrees. Yes, this also seems obvious but what we often see is that nowadays the focus seems to be only on online, as if the psychical world is something ‘dirty’ but what Colette does very well is developing their brand activation with a mix of experience events, collabs, PR and influencer marketing.

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