LONDON — Jo Malone London will promote its latest and biggest fragrance launch of the year, Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne, with a Fortnite game as it seeks to broaden its reach and appeal to a new generation of consumers.
The brand has partnered with Chartis, the user-generated content games and media company, to launch its first gaming activation. The move is part of a wider strategy by the Estée Lauder Cos. “to engage with consumers across channels and experiences, leveraging technology and AI to encourage discovery.”
The game, which will start on Monday and run for two weeks, is a custom-built Fortnite experience, with players invited to experience “the wild waters of the British coast, and the invigorating energy of the sea.”
Jo Malone London said the Fortnite activation will be supported by a promotional campaign with gaming creators, livestreams and social content across Instagram, TikTok and Fortnite, in order to extend the campaign “beyond gameplay and into broader digital culture.”
Jo Dancey, global brand president, Jo Malone London, said: “Gaming is a major cultural space for younger generations — a place to connect, create and discover. Gaming platforms also help us connect with consumers who may not encounter the brand through traditional social media channels, making this both a creative first and an important part of our strategy to reach new audiences where they are.”
A look at the Fortnite game for Jo Malone London.
Dancey added that “Fortnite offers the opportunity to build worlds audiences can actively enter and participate in, which is particularly powerful for fragrance. While scent cannot be experienced on screen, its mood, setting and emotion can. Sea Salt & Bergamot evokes the freshness of the British coast and the activation allows users to explore and experience the charm of our landscape.”
Asked why Jo Malone London chose to promote Sea Salt & Bergamot in particular with a game, Dancey said that, “As our largest launch of the year, it felt like a natural choice for our first gaming activation. The scent’s immersive and adventurous story translated seamlessly into the game.”
Aida Andersson, head of commercial at Chartis, said the collaboration with Jo Malone London marks a “defining moment for luxury fragrance in interactive entertainment and demonstrates how premium lifestyle brands can leverage UGC platforms as media landscapes to drive cultural relevance, audience engagement and brand discovery.”
Chartis describes itself as “the end-to-end partner for brands looking to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences at scale.” The company said it has more than 95 percent market share across top UGC experiences and more than 250 creators in its network.
Jo Malone London has created a game with Fortnite to launch its latest fragrance.
Dancey said: “This is our first step into gaming, so we will take the learnings from the activation and use them to shape how we engage consumers in the future. Jo Malone London has always had a playful spirit, and we will continue to explore interactive and unexpected forms of discovery on the channels and platforms where our customers are.”
The new fragrance was created by the perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui, with a top note of bergamot, a heart of sea salt and a base of driftwood accord. Jo Malone London said the new juice builds on the brand’s selection of “sea salt-fresh scents.”
