Our floral philosophy: immersiveness of scent
.When the skin care brand Philosophy approached Eventique for help with a brand re-activation event, their new line’s feminine, floral packaging immediately caught the team’s eye.
“The one thing that stuck out to us about [Philosophy] was their color palette. They use two different shades of pink; there’s a light green, a light yellow. So, we really told the story through very prominent, serene uses of their color palette,” Eventique VP of Creative and Strategy’s Eric Wielander told BizBash. Creative Director Kelly Bryden broadcast that color palette through four floors of the historic Sousa House at 80 Washington Street in New York City. Each floor of the townhome became a unique experience for the media representatives and influencers who flocked there on Jan. 23, 2020, to discover and test Philosophy’s new products. To really drive the brand’s message home, Kelly leaned heavily on a crucial tool in every event designer’s toolbox: florals.
‘Amazing Grace’ in Bloom
Flower power was on full display in the “Amazing Grace” room. It starred Philosophy’s new line of perfumes, shampoos, bath and shower gels, and firming body emulsions. Kelly and her team supersized the line’s delicate floral packaging and turned it into wall vinyls to create a wallpaper effect. Then, they brought those 2D florals to life with a flower wall covered in white, blush pink, and soft yellow blooms.
Bathed in Florals
“The house had a bathtub in it, and we wanted to make sure people didn’t actually get inside of the bathtub, so we decided to fill it with florals,” Kelly remembers. “They kind of cascaded down the wall, filled up the tub, and spilled over the edges, giving you this feeling of the immersiveness of the scent. We were inspired by how water fills a tub, and we just replaced the water with the florals.”
To complete the immersive experience, Eventique scented the air with jasmine, rose, and orange blossom, and hired a harp player to pluck notes between two potted bergamot trees. The scents and trees brought the key ingredient of Philosophy’s “Amazing Grace Bergamot” eau de toilette to life.
“We wanted the space to feel warm and ethereal. The goal was to create a dream floral environment that matched the scent of the Philosophy perfume,” Kelly says, later adding, “This fragrance was very tied in with the harp player because she gave the room a more regal, aspirational feel.”
Visitors never would have guessed that Kelly mixed silk flowers in with the real petals — a designer’s trick that keeps artistic arrangements looking fresh through multi-day events.
Capturing ‘Nature in a Jar’
In contrast to the lush “AmazingGrace” space, stepping into the “Nature in a Jar” room felt like stumbling upon a desert oasis. It was filled with cactuses of all shapes and sizes. Kelly crafted it to showcase Philosophy’s Nature in a Jar line of recovery moisturizers, skin reset serums, rehab balms, and more.
“We used blow-up photos of ingredients pictured throughout, mounted and as wall vinyls, to give the customer a look at the organic, clean beauty aspect of the line,” Kelly said. “Having the photos of the ingredients large, front and center, reminded the influencers that the products they were using were actually made from plants.”
To make sure no one missed the message, Kelly and her team did something unforgettable and a little bit crazy: They asked a sculptor to freeze full-sized cannabis sativa, cactus fruit, agave, jojoba, centella asiatica plants in blocks of ice.
“We created these large ice blocks of the key ingredients to show off the cryo components of Philosophy’s latest product line. To make the ice sculptures pop, we illuminated the sculptures from the bottom to make them the highlight of the room,” Kelly says.
The products themselves were raised on daisies and positioned on clear stands side-by-side with cactuses in bright white, geometric pots. The room also featured art pieces and interactive elements, like a massive makeup palette that took up an entire table and a white-cushioned porch swing that was the perfect setup for selfies.
“We were constantly thinking about, ‘This activation, this graphic, this message, this tagline’ — does it feel relevant and right to what we want to say about the brand?” Eric told BizBash.
“And for the design and fabrication: ‘Is it going to be not only something that articulates that message, but also is it going to create this moment with people that makes them want to voluntarily take a picture, share it, or write about it?’”
Whether your event is in a New York City townhome, a restaurant, a ballroom, or the digital plane, florals can add that touch of beauty and gravitas you need.
