eCommerce Website

As one of the world's most envied and imitated high-fashion cosmetics brands, NARS knew it had to walk a fine line with its first online boutique. On one hand, NARS needed to maintain the exclusivity that its in-the-know aficionados craved. On the other, it needed to attract the attention of new customers browsing the Web. How, then, could this niche player strike the right balance? How could it build a site that maintained the brand's unique personality while reaching out, in a differentiating way, to the uninitiated millions?

Solution

Our team took its cues from the brand's major strengths: brilliant colors, innovative packaging, and lots of attention to detail. We then built a site in which interaction with the brand, its colors and expertise, were as important as commerce. For NARS neophytes, the site's architecture made products easier to browse, based on the way customers actually used them and searched for them online. The look and feel capture NARS's stark allure, reaching through the screen to celebrate the physicality of the company's products, packaging and patented color sense.

Results

NARS.com has become an easy-to-use, heavily trafficked shopping experience — one that managed to achieve profitability within a year of launch. For new customers, the site provides a rich introduction to the NARS product line. This has enabled the company to reach a much wider audience, while at the same time preserving the upscale character of its brand.