Declining foot traffic at physical retail stores has led to more than a decade of turning store spaces into entertainment hubs to lure customers in. And in Manhattan on Tuesday, two events underscored the celebrity appeal as a way for stores to generate buzz.
Inside air-conditioned salons with refreshments and stargazing, guests at Bergdorf Goodman and Swarovski had the chance to get up close and personal with Sophie Turner in partnership with St-Germain liqueur and Rachel Zegler, presumably associated with the upcoming Disney film “Snow White,” respectively.
At the iconic upscale store, Bacardi-owned sweet spirits brand Elderflower has unveiled a pop-up St-Germain Hugo Spritz counter that will offer complimentary samples of the trendy cocktail to guests starting July 17. Until 21.
Located in the beauty section of the store’s basement, this pop-up is a playful take on the beauty section, with one of the bottles resembling an old-fashioned spray bottle. It’s another example of wine and spirits marketing upping the ante in its fashion tie-in, evolving from a sideline partner supplying free booze to splitting the bill equally with fashion brands.
Turner starred in the film Summer Campaign for Saint Germain, which depicts “game of thrones’ An actress in a bold double-pun dialogue orders a cocktail from a handsome French bartender at a resort in the South of France. At the event, Turner, dressed in a cream linen jacket and trousers by Nadine Mirabey, went behind the bar to serve the concoction made of liqueur, prosecco, and soda, garnished with mint and lemon. Always looking natural, Turner posed for photos holding a tray filled with the drinks, which were served in custom miniature glasses that mimicked the design of the bottle and were decorated with a flower-shaped tumbler.
According to St-Germain brand manager Stacey Belter, social media has confirmed the popularity of the drink, which has been promoted as a lighter, brighter and fresher version of the Spritz’s other standard-bearer, the Aperol Spritz, since last summer. Turner, a self-professed cocktail fan, was an obvious choice for the newly single actress who “always loves anything,” according to another brand representative.
The Bergdorf Goodman location is a prime launch point for the Hugo Spritz summer shop, followed by select hospitality locations across the country. For Bergdorf Goodman, it’s another hospitality-focused experience that the flagship store has been curating recently.
It recently renovated its basement restaurant into a Ginori Café in partnership with Italian porcelain brand Ginori 1735 and is outfitted with the brand’s ultra-colorful porcelain decorations. The store is believed to have more hospitality-focused plans for the fall. So far, after being acquired by HBC, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, it’s business as usual for the retailer, which was part of the Neiman Marcus group.
Just before the event, a few blocks away at Swarovski’s newly opened flagship store on Fifth Avenue — which is designed like a giant, multi-colored jewelry box — media, influencers, and KOLs witnessed a conversation led by Sotheby’s Head of Media Christina O’Neill with Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Zegler.
O’Neill asked the actress about her sudden rise to fame after playing Maria in the recent film adaptation of “West Side Story,” which earned her the prestigious award in 2022. The pair also discussed Ziegler’s upcoming roles, as Juliet in this fall’s Broadway version of “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Sam Gold, and her role as Snow White in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the animated classic. The latter seems fitting for Swarovski, which has partnered with the beloved princess and theme park-focused brand on its 100-piece collection.D The New Jersey-born American actress is celebrating her wedding anniversary in 2023, as she has done before. Despite her sudden rise to fame, the New Jersey-born actress, who wears a large crystal heart brooch on a sexy printed dress, says she stays true to herself by walking her dog and cooking her favorite foods like chicken rice.
On the same day, Swarovski launched the name Ariana Grande has announced that the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, one of the world’s best-selling female artists, will be its brand ambassador. The partnership will kick off with a holiday 2024 campaign that will feature the singer, who has a powerful vocal range and also champions inclusivity and female empowerment.
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