CITY - Issue 61 - (Page 58)

CITIZENS: Jérôme Bérard Image is Everything Branding Specialist Jérôme Bérard knows how to make a product pop By Lauren Drell I n the world of brand management, image is everything and packaging matte s. Each b and should have its identity embodied in a t adema k colo , sc ipt, p esentation, shape, and expe ience — and the logo is just the icing on the cake. Fo tunately, Jé ôme Bé a d knows exactly how to keep b ands f esh and audiences engaged. Befo e const uction began on the vast New o k oﬃce space of Bé a d ssociates, his b and development and management ﬁ m, Jé ôme Bé a d e ected tempo a y foamco e walls so he could measu e the width of the halls, the dimensions of the oﬃces, and the height of the doo ways. He needed to visualize the oﬃce, life size, befo e it was actually executed. Bé a d is no less tho ough o visiona y when consulting with the b ands that he shapes. He uses the spacious back oom to e ect mock etail envi onments, enabling a client to see his designs in context, at full scale. Ce tainly a d awing o ende ing is p etty — but it’s ﬂat, small, and not lifelike. The ability to see the display in its t ue fo m and size enables him to tailo his modiﬁcations so as to enhance the etail expe ience. Fo one beauty line, Bé a d pu chased an enti e shelving unit f om Sepho a so he could pe fect the display. He helps b ands “own a niche in a ve y competitive landscape.” He tests company’s bounda ies, pushing them towa d pe fection, inqui ing “What is you b and? What was it? What could it be? How fa can you go?” nd it doesn’t go unnoticed. Bé a d has been hono ed with nume ous design and packaging awa ds, including th ee Clio awa ds. The shelves of his ofﬁce a e ado ned with the edgy designs that ﬂaunt Bé a d’s ve satility — wood encased, “antique” J. Pete man cologne, b ightly colo ed bottles of G anado’s B azilian foot powde , gold-w apped Godiva delicacies, Technicolo tubes of beComing body mist. Bé a d views eve ything he designs — compacts, skin c eams, lotions, glass pe fume bottles — as little sculptu es (he is a t ained sculpto ), miniatu e pieces of a t that ado n you vanity and become “icons” in you daily life, so they ought to be p etty. In , Lau a Me cie sought b anding advice f om Bé a d. They discussed a few ways to eposition the p oduct, to delive something unmistakable and unique. Bé a d suggested a colo change, a d amatic vee f om Me cie ’s classic black, but she was eluctant since black was “iconic,” — and was the colo used by highe -end b ands like Chanel, T ish McEvoy, M C, and Bobbi B own. But one fateful day at Be gdo f Goodman’s Lau a Me cie counte , an Uppe East Side woman hastily whipped out he empty lipstick containe , eage fo a eplacement. The saleswoman glanced at the gene ic black tube and pointed ac oss the aisle to the Bobbi B own peddle s. “That’s thei s,” she told the custome . t that moment, Me cie went mocha. Bé a d believes this is the pe fect signatu e fo Me cie , a wa m, ich hue to match he “wa m soul.” es, black makes a statement, and it’s easy, but b own is bold, just as a luxu y etaile should be. But a sense of luxu y should not be limited to those who can aﬀo d luxu y. In fact, one of the g eatest joys fo Bé a d is making a mass b and exude luxu y, which is diﬃcult given competitive p ice points. von’s new Pe fecting Complex was skinca e fo the masses, but was ove looked because of its bulky, f osted glass, bland ce ulean sc ew-top, and ba ely-the e gold logo. Bé a d evolutionized the containe , simplifying the shape and adding sleek silve accents and a bold, navy sc ipt, which late became von’s simple, yet autho itative co po ate logo. Then the e’s ma k, a cosmetic company fo teens, fo which Bé a d has won design awa ds. Innovative dual-ended p oducts (a concept late app op iated by M C) allow ﬁckle teenage s to mix and match eyeshadow and lipstick to ﬁt thei mood, “whethe they’ e happy on F iday o sad on Monday.” The ease of customization adds a sense of luxu y and pe sonalization, a feeling that this p oduct is unique and was made fo me. It is this skill, the cleve ability to be sensitive to both the needs of the consume and the wants of the company that makes Bé a d such a genius. Clea ly, Bé a d has the ability to p esc ibe and concoct an eﬀective emedy fo any b and that comes a-knocking. But is the e a line he can’t wait to get his hands on? He pu ses his lips and fu ows his b ow while he fo mulates a esponse: “I think . . . well, I think . . . ai lines!” T aveling is Bé a d’s indulgence and he sees weakness in the indust y, believing ai lines can do so much mo e to bette the expe ience. Su e, they have been edesigned, eb anded, and emblazoned with t endy g aphics, but whe e’s the customization? It’s doubtful that if Bé a d does take to b anding an ai line that he will const uct a life size ai c a in his back oﬃce, o suggest that a plane be painted b own, but it’s obvious that fo Bé a d, the sky deﬁnitely will not be the limit. The ease of customization adds a sense of luxury and personalization, a feeling that this product is unique and was made “for me.” PORTR AIT BY DOROTHY HONG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CITY - Issue 61

CITY - Issue 61 Contents Our Friends Action Wanted City Moment Luscious Life Fast Food Inrogue Temporary Contemporary Diary Savania Davies-Keller & Roberto Crivello Pamela Love Sung-Joo Kim Jerome Berard Destination Dealerships Overly Opulent Inside Out Like a Clock in the Heart Qatar’s Crown Jewel BLING Urge to Splurge Just a Splash Luxe Life Solitaire Equus Where to Buy It Cityscape

CITY - Issue 61

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