Zadig & Voltaire

THE CLIENT: Zadig & Voltaire originated from Saint‐Germain‐des‐Prés on the Rive Gauche of Paris in 1998 and subsequently had its foot firmly set in the realm of luxury retail heaven when it opened a store on rue François in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris. Its global expansion saw new stores opening on Sloane Street, London and in the Meatpacking district of New York. Today, it has a total of 200 stores worldwide across cities like Milan, Tokyo, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Seoul and Hong Kong. Its first store in Singapore opened at The Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands in October 2010 in a spare yet chic 170 sq metre store that allows the merchandise to speak for itself.

PROJECT BRIEF: Founded by designer Thierry Gillier, Zadig & Voltaire needed a professional agency approach which could help the brand roll out each season’s prêt‐a‐porter pour femme & pour homme collections including fashion accessories, jewellery, accoutrements, fragrances. It held a unique brand personality: one with an emphasis on channeling a new luxury by giving fashion basics a playful and resolutely rock ‘n’ roll twist: a more affordable, stylish and laid‐back luxury.

PR STRATEGY: The objective was to make Zadig synonymous with luxurious fabrics such as cashmere, silk and leather and as a playful and resolutely rock ‘n’ roll twist: a more affordable, stylish and laid-back luxury. Publicist PR decided to use the launch of the new Spring Summer 2011 Campaign featuring Texas Supermodel Erin Wassons) to start a conversation among relevant fashion editors. The objective was to generate positive word of mouth about the brand among target users. Next, Publicist PR profiled Zadig et Voltaire’s heritage as a Paris‐based cult brand with its finger on the pulse of rock & roll and a name that nods towards Enlightenment‐era philosopher Voltaire and the character, Zadig, from Voltaire’s renowned piece of work: The Book of Fate which discusses socio‐political issues of his day but obscures them under a thin veil by locating them in the context of ancient Babylonia. In addition, Publicist highlighted Zadig & Voltaire’s strong alignment with cult personalities with great cachet located in the realm of music, art, glamour and fashion. The Zadig story was accompanied with the likes of rock band The Kills and DJ‐is‐ the‐new‐god Mark Ronson & his girlfriend Josephine de la Baume fronting its past seasons’ campaigns, As a purveyor of glamourous grunge, Zadig was also not about loudness but about French luxury chic. Publicist PR educated press on the esoteric brand association that the Zadig & Voltaire rock chick/rocker wishes for through its minimalistic logo, glitterific skulls and studded eagles. The campaign focused on tier one of top fashion and luxury monthlies to drive gather “buzz” for the brand, which in turn generate further interest in Zadig et Voltaire among key audiences — including the media and affluent consumers. To increase traffic to the store and get people talking, we worked closely with its founder Ghiller and his muse, Ms Erin Wasson on exclusive interviews to French print magazines specializing in Fashion and lifestyle. RESULTS: Over 126 emails exchanges, countless phone calls to Paris, and 28 informal email follow ups later, we secured a wave of profile interviews and extensive media coverage, including 10 postings in highly influential fashion blogs featuring 100% positive and enthusiastic coverage of the brand. Zadig & Voltaire has effortlessly established itself as a concept-store designer that is ahead of its time. Classics such as elaborate cashmere sweaters, customised Tunisian T-shirts, and distressed, ripped jeans constitute the must-haves of the brand were featured in STYLE, Elle Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, AsiaOne Plush Diva, Juice, IS, Nuyou, Female Magazine, Catalog, Expat Living, Her World Magazine, Her World Online, Simply Her Magazine, Alexis Magazine and on broadcast TV, Ladies Nite Program on Channel U. The results from our outreach for the brand resulted in a 20% increase in footfall in Zadig Spring Summer Collection 2011.