SEPHORA’s Mumbai Launch with Toast; Kangana, Dino, Sara Jane... Snapped at the Swanky Store Opening

by  Isha Gakhar Marketing | February 16, 2016 | News

Toast Events Kangana Ranaut SEPHORA

Its makeover, changeover time with the world’s largest beauty retailer store. After months of anticipation amongst beauty-addicts, the first Sephora store in Mumbai is now open! Receiving great excitement, the launch saw thousands of fans lined up prior to the launch of the city’s brand new beauty destination.

Toast Events, partnered with the brand in creative collaboration, creating an interesting series of events and activations leading to the launch. The brands objective was to drive visibility and reach out to the target audience in a unique format.

With presence in 31 countries, this is Sephora’s fifth outlet in India and a brand new first one in Mumbai. Spread across 2,800 sq ft, the swanky store houses the iconic retailer’s curated and exclusive brands across make-up, skincare, fragrances, bath, haircare, accessories categories, men’s grooming and giftings.

Building up to the launch, Toast Events created opportunities for the brand to create buzz in town about Sephora’s arrival. Painting Mumbai in Black and White, a beautiful Sephora in-lit installation was created at the atrium of Palladium Mall.

Moving out of the mall, a group of high-energy foot tapping dancers in a gorgeous Sephora branded happy bus did the rounds in Mumbai meeting Sephora enthusiasts creating buzz about the grand launch! The bus stopped at iconic spots in the city like Marine Drive, Carter Road, Linking Road along with hangout spots outside colleges like HR, Jai Hind, Sophia’s, National’s - as a 2-minute flash mob got the traffic stopping, eyeballs watching and crowds cheering.

A day prior to the launch, Sephora hosted an exclusive pre-launch party at the store for an exclusive guestlist including, Sarah Jane Dias, Dino Morea, Nishka Lulla, Payal Khandwala, Shibani Dandekar, Ellie Avram, Pallavi Sharda, Aparna Badlani, Karishma Tanna, Mandira Bedi, Krystle D’Souza, Sonali Kulkarni, Ramona Arena, Kubra Sait, Shaheen Abbas and many others. They all were seen indulging in some serious retail therapy over sparkling wine and delicious hors d’oeuvres as celebrity Dj Megha Kawale gave the store a new avatar, turning it into a party place!

The launch day showcased electric energy, with excitement reaching its peak, as Bollywood glamazon Kangana Ranaut entered cheering for the girls and encouraging them to shop more. A big patron of Sephora herself, the very excited Ranaut inaugurated the store, as she shared her must-do beauty tips with her 5 favourite SEPHORA Collection cult products.

Commenting on Sephora's store opening in Mumbai, Kangana said, “Sephora is one of my favourite brands and I love that it has now launched in Mumbai. I have shopped for some of my favourite products here today and am thrilled to launch this iconic store closer home! It was fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm amongst the waiting crowds to get in and shop for their favourite products!”

On conceptualizing the well-executed launch, Pummi Khanchandani, Client Servicing Lead, Toast Events said, “Being the first store to launch in Mumbai, we at Toast Events wanted to ensure no leaf was unturned. A well-defined launch plan was put in motion. It was divided between on-ground events and digital marketing. On-ground covered an extensive event plan that helped build awareness of the launch using conventional as well as non-conventional methods. We branded the mall as well as used outdoor space for advertising but what really created the buzz was the Sephora branded bus that stopped at hotspots around the city. Dancers jumped out and broke into a flash mob spreading the buzz on the big launch. This was further amplified on digital media building the excitement amongst the target audience even more.”

Detailing the event challenges, Nilesh Gurav, Opearations Lead, Toast Events added, “An extensive list of activities were lined up 14 days prior to the launch that would help us generate buzz, driving traffic on the main launch day. Since ‘challenge’ is something that we invite excitedly, we worked around tight timelines creating the perfect plan and bringing it to life on ground. This launch has been great and we look forward to many more Sephora launches in Mumbai, soon."