After its Rouge G lipsticks, Guerlain is delving into the online personalization of its primary packaging once again with Hapticmedia, French expert in 3D visualization. This time, it's the brand’s iconic bee bottle (produced by Pochet du Courval) that is being customized. The online personalization service offers a number of options: the consumer can select a ribbon to decorate the neck of the bottle (both its shape and color), the size of the bottle (125, 250 and 500ml) and even the color of the glass—from black and green to purple. As a final touch, a message can be engraved on the smooth surface at the front of the bottle. "The rendering proved to be quite complex in this case as Guerlain's bee bottle is engraved and is more or less transparent depending on its color. The juice makes for a magnifying glass effect, which becomes more complex to replicate given the engraved bee motif on the back of the bottle. Thanks to our mathematical formulas, we were able to 'deform' the surface of the bottle in order create this magnifying glass effect," explains Hapticmedia co-founder Henri Foucaud. Guerlain explains that this online service is one way of reproducing the personalization experience offered in the house's boutiques around the world. "Hapticmedia's 3D technical solution allows us to showcase our iconic products. It offers a number of different combinations to increasingly demanding customers who are looking for digital experiences that reflect those on offer in-store," explains Guerlain chief digital officer Jean Denis Mariano. Hapticmedia’s Foucaud confirms: "The main goal here is to find a way to transcribe an emotion and an experience that the consumer has had in store into the digital world, and this with the greatest possible precision and safeguarding the playful spirit of personalization." Are there other projects in progress? “All I can say is that personalization is a serious area of research for Guerlain”, adds Foudaud. The experience is currently available on several of Guerlain's European e-commerce sites, including in Italy, Spain and the UK.
