Will the next generation of luxury be unattainable beauty and fragrance products?
This week the items comprising Commitment, A Collection by Equinox began being shown on the company’s social media channels and in select club windows “as a nod to luxury retail shop displays,” according to a press release announcing the campaign.
The project is an extension of Equinox’s ongoing Commit to Something campaign. “The concept of commitment is central to the Equinox mission, and we proudly celebrate it every day as we empower each member of our community to maximize their own personal potential,” explains Vimla Black Gupta, chief marketing officer of Equinox Fitness Clubs.
She goes on to emphasize that “we're living in a time where commitment has become a relative rarity, so the stories we're sharing as part of this year's campaign feel especially important as a catalyst for inspiring others to accomplish their own goals—both inside and outside the four walls of our clubs.”
Industry inclination
Prior to taking on the chief marketing role at Equinox, Gupta was senior vice president of global marketing for Estée Lauder brand Bobbi Brown.
It was only last month, in December of 2017, when she joined Equinox. A media release circulated at the time highlighted her accomplishments and responsibilities at Bobbi Brown: “There she managed, led and created the product, consumer and digital marketing strategy for the $1 Billion brand. Prior to her four-year tenure with Bobbi Brown, she held the position of vice president, new brand development of Idea Bank, the Estee Lauder Companies' in-house innovation unit. Gupta has also held key marketing leadership roles at Procter and Gamble and the Gilette Companies.”
Beauty manifestation
The Commitment collection Gupta and her team have just debuted is made up of seven exclusive fashion and beauty items created to embody the commitments of seven inspiring people.
For instance, “The Truth Lipstick [is] made from blank newspaper pages from The Washington Post [and] symbolizes the organization's commitment to free press and journalistic integrity.” The lipstick case was designed by Mel Ottenberg, the stylist who curated the designers involved in Commitment.
The fragrance in the collection is called Eau De Blood, Sweat & Tears. It’s a scent created by 12.29 and “infused with the actual DNA of Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon,” according to the release. The fragrance bottle was designed by Rafael de Cardenas of Architecture at Large. Together the fragrance and packaging “smbolizes Switzer's commitment to equal rights for all female athletes.”
These products are not for sale.
“In an on-demand world where everything is a swipe away and anything can be bought if the price is right, Commitment, A Collection by Equinox was conceived to subvert our typical perceptions of luxury,” explains the company’s press release. Some of the collection will eventually be auctioned off to benefit Equinox’s charity partners: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Heroes Project.
