Sol de Janeiro: ‘We’re only scratching the surface of what’s to come’

Founded by Heela Yang along with Marc Capra and Camila Pierotti in 2015, Sol de Janeiro, the body care brand known for its skin-firming Bum Bum Cream, is now one of L’Occitane Group’s biggest success stories. 

“It’s now our second largest brand and one of the fastest-growing skincare brands globally,” Mona L’Hostis, marketing director of global travel retail, L’Occitane Group, told Inside Retail. “The brand has consistently delivered a stellar performance globally across its range of products.”

Sol de Janeiro posted triple-digit sales growth in the first nine months of FY24, helping L’Occitane Group maintain its solid sales performance with the latter’s net sales reaching 1.9 billion euros (US$2.1 billion).  

“The main driver for Sol de Janeiro’s impressive growth globally includes powerful social media,” L’Hostis said. 

The brand currently has more than 2.4 million followers on Instagram, 2.4 million followers on TikTok and 353,000 followers on Facebook. 

Sol de Janeiro initially rose to prominence thanks to its Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, which became a cult favourite in the beauty industry. However, it’s the perfume mist line that helped amplify the brand’s visibility and appeal. Specifically, the brand has benefited immensely from organic endorsements and rave reviews from countless TikTok users, who have enthusiastically shared their experiences with these fragrances. 

According to digital trend forecasting agency Spate, the brand recorded 430,000 average monthly Google searches last year, representing an 18 per cent increase year on year. 

L’Hostis added strategic expansion into new markets and increased availability across multiple retail channels has been the key to its significant growth. 

Travel retail push 

Sol de Janeiro recently introduced a three-month global marketing push dubbed ‘Unleash Your Summer Self’ with sun-kissed 360-degree activations and in-store animations at 105 airports worldwide. In addition, the brand launched a social media campaign which used hyper-local geo-targeting to reach travellers in the pre-trip phase. 

“We went the extra mile with live DJ sets and gifted travellers yellow candyfloss,” L’Hostis said. “This extensive global media campaign is part of the exciting journey we embarked on just over a year ago when we launched Sol de Janeiro in travel retail. Our goal is to shake the existing status quo and bring a burst of colour, fun and inclusivity to airports worldwide.

“Multi-generational consumers – in particular Gen-Z and Millennial audiences – have become devoted fans and simply can’t get enough of it!”

Recently, Oslo Airport featured Sol de Janeiro branding on all pillars in its main shopping, retail, and restaurant zones for the first time, creating a striking visual impact throughout the airport.

The company’s travel retail partners include Avolta, Gebr. Heinemann, and Unifree Duty Free. The marketing director said the airport environment naturally attracts high footfall and impulse purchasing. 

“We have brought escapism and happiness into what is traditionally known as a stressful and stale environment and shaken up the existing passive retail model,” she added. 

“Experiential shopping, vibrant displays and showstopper activations have engendered excitement, anticipation and also loyalty in customers. After all, travel retail is the window of the world for the brand and a way to engage customers in a meaningful and captivating way during their journey.

“Suffice to say, our latest arresting campaign is just the beginning. There are lots of exciting plans in the pipeline which will be revealed in due course,” she said. 

“Today we’re only scratching the surface of what’s to come.”

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