01. Challenge - Using technology to address consumer pain points in fragrance discovery

Recognising consumer pain points surrounding fragrance discovery such as choice paralysis, lack of vocabulary to express preferences (of fragrance notes), and olfactory limitations, leading global luxury brand Carolina Herrera under the PUIG Group collaborated with Holition to create an experiential Fragrance Finder for Carolina Herrera’s store in El Corte Ingles, Madrid, Spain.

02. The Solution - Reimagining the fragrance discovery journey through colour and emotion 

To enchant consumers in an in-store environment, we envisaged an in-store experience that removes the barriers of trial and one that influences key stages in the consumer journey, particularly discovery and selection - all whilst ensuring that the installation sits harmoniously with the entire consumer journey.

The digital in-store experience was built following Holition’s colour choice matrix methodology as well as the integration of Puig’s ‘Profiler’ tool and AirParfum system, a patented technology that creates an improved olfactory experience by transforming purified air into fragranced air, without saturating the nose. 

As a scalable, and easy-to-integrate experience, the Fragrance Finder allows users to explore the DNA of over 50 of the brand’s fragrances through colour, saturation, preferences & emotion, represented through striking animations and visuals.

Bringing experiential design + science together, the full journey is animated using 100 hours of footage using a macro lens over paint experiments and movements to harness colour as a catalyst for fragrance discovery.  With colour also being a typical descriptor for emotion, Holition undertook exclusive research to develop a unique colour spectrum associated with olfactive families.

Through this, the user can select the kind of feeling they would want their perfect fragrance to give. After processing the user’s choices, the personalisation algorithm presents up to 3 fragrances for users to trial.

Alongside the hyper-personalised recommendations, further educational information is provided, such as: fragrance family, subfamily, occasions, key ingredient location of origin, and ingredient qualifications.

03. Insight - Using colour to express the feeling of a fragrance

As a pioneering brand in digital transformation, the next-generation fragrance discovery experience built by award-winning London-based creative innovation studio, Holition encompasses Carolina Herrera’s heritage, timelessness, and creative DNA through a highly-personalised experience that enables consumers to immerse themselves in the world of Carolina Herrera’s signature fragrances.