Making luxury accessible
During the reign of the French King Louis XV, in the 18thCentury, Antoine-Claude Maille was a master distiller of vinegars and manufacturerof high quality mustards. Its products were praised by the King, and were soonsought by all the major European courts.
However this great expansion has also created a problem : Maille had over the years lost some of its « cachet ». It has startedto be perceived as a good quality brand with high levels of awareness,distributed through mainstream channels and with a weak link to the activitiesof two brand « boutiques », based in Paris and Dijon, focussed on thetourist market ; its potential of « affordable luxury »brand, offering a unified brand experience should be unlocked.
The ambition of Maille is now to revive its history of 265years of gastronomy and to leverage the premiumness of its brand and productsacross all touch points, in France and abroad, starting with an expandednetwork of boutiques.
Maison Maille had to find the right balance between the transmission of its heritage and the creativity explosion which has always been part of its DNA, to convey a consistent message across all its touch points.
Its coat of arms and other historic meaningful elements are redesigned in a coherent way to better communicate on the rich roots of Maille, whereas the new store concept borrows from the codes of the kitchens of « grande demeure ». All the redesign converge to build a unified brand experience and story telling, based on discovery and tasting.
The first international Maille boutiqueopened its doors in October 2013, at 2 Piccadilly Arcade. Its spectacular round window invitesgourmets to enter the world of Antoine-Claude Maille and offers them acompletely new gastronomic journey.
All the boutique elements melt the iconic and contemporary facets of the brand. Behind the welcoming desk, a full wall takes the shape of the traditional Maille crown, as a recall of its original label. This shape echoes also to the vaulted ceilings of palace kitchens.
The space is organized around a central range cooker, which hosts a pump to serve fresh mustard. The wide array of products and recipes is displayed on high-shelves, alongside unique items showing the Maison’s history(old jars, engraved cloches, vintage posters, …) Gift sets and kitchenware complete the offer and place Maille on the same stage as reputed gourmet maisons.
All the packaging design of the products sold in store were renovated, as well as those sold in supermarkets. This new concept will be implemented in major « foodies »capital cities across the world.
The original first boutique in Paris, opened since 2007, was also created by the agency. Until 2013, several store operations throughout theyear were developed, to follow the peak periods of the year (Valentine’s Day,Mother’s Day, …), through POS, collectible gift sets, in-store communicationsand window merchandising.
As a result of our work, La Boutique Maille received the Janus du Commerce label and the Global Design Prize at the Grand Prix Stratégies du Design 2014.
Photo credits : Fiorella Beauvallet & Sidney Kwanone
