Atelier Cologne - Art from nature

Insight
Reimagining the art of niche fragrances.
The emerging niche fragrance market is one of the fastest-growing premium categories in China, triggering intense competition and rapid growth. To be an enduring part of the category and elevate quality and pricing, Atelier Cologne required a shift into a persona that was distinct and aspirational.

In a very competitive and codified category, Atelier Cologne had to distinguish itself with singular and ownable brand codes.

Idea
Fragrances from nature to reveal your inner nature.
To facilitate this profound transformation, AKQA staged a brand revival by planting the seeds of simple truth and allowing it to blossom and resonate with the audience. An aspirational message of unique, high-level savoir-faire - that Atelier Cologne products are natural ingredients transformed into pieces of art, that the brand itself is an instrument that transforms raw, natural ingredients into parfums d’exception.

To spark this renaissance, Atelier Cologne’s identity and codes around key pillars are redefined, storytelling the transformative creation process from nature to art through a triptyque that begins with the natural ingredient, moving through to a product-inspired motion design art sculpture, finishing on emotion-led poetry.

Atelier Cologne is art from nature, a unique truth that acts as an invitation to its audience to reveal their own inner nature.

Impact
An olfactory experience that speaks to emotion.
To enhance the new code and drive repetition, AKQA created a system that would be common for brand moments and business hallmarks, focusing on maximising impact and memorability.