There were 40 of them, they were full of enthusiasm, but most importantly they were with us for a whole weekend in Marseille, France, for the presentation of the new The Body Shop fragrance: Love Etc...™.

It is in a kind of crazy but mostly relaxed and a little magical atmosphere that the BuzzParadise team met up with 40 of its bloggers from France and Switzerland on a Saturday to embark on a very special train journey to Marseille.

In honor of the launch of its new Love Etc...™ fragrance, the ethical beauty company decided to invite the blogging ladies to the French metropolis Marseille to one of the largest The Body Shop boutiques in Europe to introduce them to the new fragrance before the perfume's official launch. There were several fun activities on the agenda:

Firstly, a train ride during which the bloggers could:
get their makeup done by Sandrine, the official The Body Shop make-up artist,
get a hand massage by Julie, also a member of The Body Shop team,
participate in musical blind tests mc'ed by our friend Florent,
participate in other surprising activities around the Love Etc…™ theme.

Secondly, a The Body Shop party in a privatized boutique in which the bloggers could:
discover the Love Etc…™ perfume (whose scent based on a mélange of jasmin, creamy musk, sandal wood and bergamot should seduce more than just a few) before its official launch. Not to forget, it contains alcohol derived from sugar cane obtained through fair trade. This is one way for The Body Shop to continue developing their fair trade program.
discover the The Body Shop Christmas product range

This was followed by a “Fiesta du Sud” party with VIP access, champagne etc… and last but not least a “sea, relax and sun” day on the Frioul Islands for a lunch themed Love Etc…™ thanks to The Body Shop and Raphaelle.

In short, a very successful perfume launch (95% positive feedback among the participants) that allowed all to get together in a welcoming and agreeable ambiance. A huge thanks to the bloggers that attended and participated in the activities, and especially to The Body Shop, who showed that an internationally renowned brand can be available and listen to its consumers. The team gave us a warm welcome and was there for all the bloggers to ensure a great weekend.

You can find photos of the event here. For those that would like to relive the weekend in a moment, a video says more than a thousand words!

According to a study by Ifop Nurun, in France the Internet has become the decisive media when it comes to purchasing, even surpassing the power of television and print.

Among the people polled, 29% say they trust the Web and say that it can help them make relevant decisions when it comes to making purchases.

Please introduce yourself:

Susan Sachatello, Senior Vice President, Marketing for Lands' End

What is Lands' End's mission statement in the US today? What is the promise the brand brings to its clients?

Lands' End promises to give our customers a great shopping experience where they will find stylish, high-quality products at an amazing value. We strive to be the beacon for what's real… real value, real people, real difference.

Can you please describe the campaign and how it came to life?

The Big Warm-up was inspired by a similar endeavor in Boston known as the Big Boston Warm-up. In addition to collecting warm coats during November, a public art installation to elevate the issue of homelessness and engage the community opened on November 2nd in Boylston Plaza at Prudential Center in downtown Boston. The installation features 768 life-sized figures, each representing ten of the 7,681 homeless women, men and children in Boston. As coats are collected, the installation will be used to count down the number of coats collected and hearts warmed.

After positive response and strong support in Boston, Lands' End extended the Big Warm-up effort to communities nationwide. Donation sites are located at more than 252 Lands' End Shops at Sears and 13 Inlets® across the country and coats will be collected until November 30th.

How involved is Lands' End with the Web and specifically Web 2.0 and social media efforts?

From Landsend.com and Facebook to viral videos and microsites, Lands' End is always looking for ways to connect with customers through technology. Landsend.com sets the bar for online shopping with features that make it easy to find a great fit, the right product and customer service. The company also regularly communicates with customers through the dedicated Facebook Fan Page and via email. Personalized viral videos are also another way the company engages with customers in a fun, interactive way.

What are the objectives of the campaign? How is it working so far?

The goal of the campaign is bring communities together to help those in need. Through the Big Warm-up, we hope to collect and distribute thousands of gently used coats for those in desperate need in communities across the country. Within the first seven days of the campaign in Boston, we collected over 1,000 coats! We are off to a great start and hope everyone will join us to make a difference this winter.

Is producing a personalized Web video a way for Lands' End to build a closer relationship with customers?

Absolutely. We are always looking for unique ways to communicate with our customers in an engaging format. A personalized viral video is just one way that we can enhance their experience with Lands' End either through Facebook or dedicated campaign websites.

Can you talk about how you see the future of Lands' End marketing/communications using social media/viral marketing?

Lands' End has built a solid reputation for listening to customers whether it's through our call centers, online or even through heartfelt letters. Social media and viral marketing is an evolution of how we will continue to connect with and engage our customers.

Vanksen thanks Susan Sachatello for this interview.

Tweetlevel is a new tool developed by Edelman that allows you to measure your own influence and credibility on Twitter. Do you want to find out? The answer is at tweetlevel.edelman.com.

Recently, we told you about the new Twitter function that allows you to create lists and share them with your followers.

Listorious has now made a list of the 140 most popular Twitter lists. Among them, you will find the list that Vanksen has dedicated to international buzz, advertising and web agencies.

You can follow us on twitter.com/vanksen_com. And how about you, what are your favorite lists?

Discover the excellent new viral video for the promotion of Re-Acciona that promises a true renaissance when it comes to renewable energy…

We also invite you check out the dedicated website and its very creative navigation.

“The Art of Community” book, a guide to proactive and productive community creation is now available for free download. This book brings together the best practices and experiences on communities, intelligently complemented by stories and anecdotes.

The book can be downloaded freely under a Creative Commons license (Attribution-Noncommercial-Share-Alike), but it is also available in paperback and e-book format. Happy reading!

Nespresso has launched a new campaign that totally differs from their old commercials. Diverting from their past use of glamour, they are now resorting to humor with a spot directed by Robert Rodriguez for the McCann agency. In it, the brand “kills” the handsome George Clooney and introduces a new celebrity, John Malkovitch. In fact, George Clooney purchases the Citiz machine, the latest Nespresso model, right before being crushed by a piano. He then changes dimension, and meets Malkovitch in heaven….

Nespresso has also launched a Flash teaser site for the event with several alternative endings, and the campaign is available on the brand's Facebook page.

Discover the latest attention grabbing and digital innovation by The New York Times. The most prestigious of American newspapers has just launched its superb online portfolio to show advertisers the range of the New York Times activities.

The world's leading steel producer, ArcelorMittal, has launched a new innovative online version of its corporate magazine boldspirit.

After the 2007 high end print version praised for its dynamic and human approach, the magazine has now entered the digital world.

The objective of this new website is to facilitate internal communication within the group, in line with its slogan ‘transforming tomorrow'. This global, innovative and inclusive communication project is complementary to the brand's highly successful Web TV that was launched 3 years ago in cooperation with Vanksen communications agency.

As an ezine written mainly in English, boldspirit addresses a mainly professional, both internal and external audience, including the media. This allows for a real communication between all stakeholders on an international level. The human dimension is underlined by highlighting employees worldwide, such as in the feature, “A Day in a Life” which highlights one worker's day.

boldspirit is the latest of a number of successful projects created in cooperation between the steel giant and Vanksen communications agency. Season 1 and Season 2 of ArcelorMittal Web TV were a major success both internally and externally.