Carte Noire
Black Supermarket
In January 2017, Carte Noire launched its new colorful capsules. To mark the occasion, WBA teamed up with 10 contemporary urban artists in a former 400-square-meter supermarket to interpret the “different shades of black,” the brand’s longstanding claim.
Take a supermarket. Repaint it in shades of black.
Ten urban artists transform 400 square meters
January 2017: to launch its new colorful capsules, Carte Noire teamed up with WBA and 10 contemporary urban artists in a former 400-square-meter supermarket to interpret the different shades of black, the brand’s longstanding claim.
The creative concept hinged on systematically reimagining the familiar elements of the space: a shopping cart turned into an armchair, checkouts converted into a welcome desk, and aisles and products reworked by prominent artists. Visitors immediately recognized the supermarket setting, and it was precisely this familiarity that made the unexpected twist effective.
Having ten artists work in the same space is a delicate exercise in art direction. Each must be given freedom of expression while ensuring a coherent whole. Their work must be scheduled so they do not get in one another’s way on site, and drying and finishing times must be factored into a schedule already constrained by the opening date.
Programming was the other key to the experience. Yoga, screen printing, digital graffiti, virtual painting, DIY workshops, latte art, a market featuring emerging designers, and a music program: a pop-up space only comes alive if every day offers a reason to visit or return.
We have brought together a brand, contemporary art, and a space open to the public elsewhere, with Leboncoin’s La Villa Extraordinaire and its ten artist-designed rooms or the pop-up restaurant (F)EAT, created for Hennessy V.S.
Product launches in Paris: the difference an event agency makes
A new range can be launched with a press release and a media campaign. It can also be launched through a space people want to visit, photograph, and share. The second approach takes creative effort, but it produces something paid media cannot: an experience people can see for themselves.
In practice, an event-led product launch rests on three levers: bespoke scenography that translates a brand’s positioning into a physical space; an unconventional venue that immediately gives the press and creators an angle; and programming that turns an opening into an event spanning several days.
Are you preparing to launch a range, a collection, or a new offering? A Paris event agency, WBA develops the concept, finds the venue, produces the scenography, and brings the experience to life through to closing.