On-Site: Jo Malone London Celebrates Paddington-Inspired ‘Orange Marmalade’ Fragrance: Moodie Davitt Report

UNITED KINGDOM. British fragrance house Jo Malone London, part of The Estée Lauder Companies, has celebrated its collaboration with Paddington Bear (a beloved character from British children’s books – Ed) with a joyful VIP event in London on July 3rd.

Moodie Davitt Report brand director Hannah Tan was on hand at the brand’s Jo Malone London Townhouse to unveil its latest fragrance, Orange Marmalade. The scent is inspired by Paddington Bear’s favourite snack, orange marmalade sandwiches.

The fragrance launched in global travel retail in early July and marks the brand’s biggest summer launch of 2024.

Jo Malone London is showcasing orange marmalade with a dynamic pop-up campaign in global travel retail, starting with a major promotion at Heathrow Airport with Avolta, followed by travel retail events across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.

At the pop-up shops, travelers can expect to see Paddington Bear dolls and customizable boxes, as well as quirky gingham design elements.

The event brought together key media and influencers from around the world and was graced by the presence of senior Jo Malone London executives including Senior Vice President of Global Creative Wandjina Glasheen-Brown and Vice President of Global Fragrance Development Céline Roux-Alezais.

To celebrate the launch, Jo Malone London transformed its headquarters into a whimsical train station, complete with a vintage train carriage and driver. The décor paid homage to the Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear campaign film, which launched on the same day.

Welcoming guests, Glasheen-Brown said: “For this collaboration, we really wanted to create a charming story. Jo Malone London and Paddington Bear have so much in common. They are both timeless classics that are synonymous with Britain. Both bring people together; both have impeccable manners but are sometimes a little bold.”

Describing the campaign film, she said: “We find ourselves with Paddington and his friends facing a train delay. This doesn’t deter them and instead they take the opportunity to have an afternoon of pranks, filled with generous helpings of orange marmalade sandwiches and good humour.

“For this world, we’ve embraced the classic, traditional Jo Malone London analogue softness with high production value. You need that balance to create the world you see coming to life today. We hope it all brings a smile to our customers’ faces.”

Guests took part in an orange pouch making workshop, held inside the vintage train carriage. This was followed by an orange marmalade jar customisation session, where guests were able to personalise their marmalade jars and tins using travel-inspired stickers from the Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear collaboration. In keeping with the spirit of the collaboration, each guest received two jars, one to keep and one to share with loved ones.

Guests were then treated to an afternoon picnic in the heart of Soho, before boarding a vintage double-decker bus, decorated with travel-themed Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear stickers.

The bus took passengers past London’s top sights, including Paddington Station, home to the Paddington Bear statue. The bus ride ended in front of Tower Bridge, where the brand unveiled a giant Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear gift box, complete with a branded ice cream cart.

The gift box is a perfect opportunity for tourists to take a selfie, while also promoting the Orange Marmalade fragrance and Paddington collaborations. A QR code placed on the front of the gift box connects visitors directly to Jo Malone London’s WeChat Mini program and online store.

The event concluded with an intimate dinner hosted by Glasheen-Brown and Roux-Alezais at Quo Vadis in Soho.

Speaking about the inspirations and creative journey behind orange marmalade, Roux-Alezais added: “Orange marmalade has been the favourite preserve of the British people, queens and kings for centuries. Marmalade making is not just about the end product, but also the process, as there is nothing more enjoyable or sweet than making marmalade with family or friends and then sharing it with loved ones. That’s what inspired this new flavour.”

“We worked with our long-time collaborator, perfumer Marie Salamagne, to bring this inspiration to life. We set out to create something soft, warm but with the elegance of Jo Malone London. Everything about this project went smoothly, almost as if the stars aligned to create this fragrance.”

She added: “We tried many jams and spent many days and nights trying different marmalades to figure out what we wanted. We wanted to capture the bitterness of orange peel, the naturalness, warmth and comfort of marmalade that goes beyond the citrus and zesty tones.

“This fragrance is all about contrasts between bitterness, spiciness, warmth and comfort, where we have used natural patchouli, warm sandalwood and a touch of English lavender. This fragrance is bright and enticing, it is a fragrance for men and women of all generations, a timeless character much like Paddington Bear himself.” ✈

{Watch the YouTube video above for exclusive footage from the Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear event, filmed by The Moodie Davitt Report’s Brand Director Hannah Tan, with editing by Declan Moodie}