“We are a brand that comes from a place of mystery, of secrecy, of quiet luxury, and we chose to tell our story in a unique, magical way – one that incites the viewer to dream, just as La Prairie does,” explains Greg Prodromides, Chief Marketing Officer of La Prairie about the Swiss luxury skincare brand’s new two-minute film that highlights the four rare and precious ingredients used in its signature luxury collections. It underscores not only the brand’s innovative, pioneering spirit in the world of skincare but also its place in the world of luxury. “This film tells a story – a story of the unexpected, a tale of something that surprises and delights,” adds Prodromides.
The four rare ingredients of La Prairie are Platinum, Gold, White Caviar and Caviar. Platinum, according to La Prairie, enhances the effectiveness of the rejuvenating cells called peptides. The brand’s new Platinum Rare Cellular Night Elixir is “the most powerful rejuvenating potion” to emerge from its laboratories. Gold serves as the “creative centre” for the Radiance Collection which nourishes the skin; hydrates the skin and helps it retain moisture; and gives the skin a subtle, flattering glow.
In 1987, La Prairie launched its Skin Caviar Collection to harness the “unparalleled” firming and lifting benefits of caviar. It quickly became an icon of the brand, and since then, the brand has expanded the collection to include Skin Caviar Eye Complex and Skin Caviar Liquid Lift. The brand’s latest innovation is the Skin Caviar Absolute Filler. White Caviar collection helps brighten skin, minimise the appearance of discolouration, maintain an even skin tone and increase firmness.
The place and the time where these four precious ingredients are revealed to us remains intentionally ambiguous. The silhouette of a woman weaves among the four ingredients displayed as though they were works of art. With the lightest of touches, her hand momentarily brushes against the glass cloche that encases each ingredient which appears to cause “a transformation that is at once real, illusionary, a fantasy, a dream. It is the reflection of her desire.”
The film’s ambiguous sense of timescape is enhanced by the soundtrack, an original composition commissioned for the film. It is at once Classical and Contemporary in its inspiration. The voiceover was written and performed by Ladan Osman, an award-winning Somali-American poet whose work has appeared in numerous esteemed publications. She delivers her elegant, minimalist verse with the driving rhythm of Spoken Word, highlighting the staccato beat of the language.
“In writing the verse for this Tale of Luxury, I intentionally sought to emphasise the ambiguity of the narrator, of the enigmatic quality inherent in La Prairie,” said Osman, who began her collaborative relationship with the Brand with The Essence of La Prairie video released last year. “The images, colour palette, music, editing – all of these elements come together to express the mystery, the richness, the understated elegance of La Prairie’s four luxury collections,” added Gilles Esteve, Senior Art Director at La Prairie.
“With this film, we hope to express the values on which that legacy is founded – Swissness certainly, but also heritage, craftsmanship, rarity. In incorporating an inspired and inspiring aesthetic that pays homage to the beauty, the purity, the elegance of our precious ingredients, we feel this film continues the storytelling that began with our brand film – it is the next chapter in the Legend of La Prairie.” – Greg Prodromides, Chief Marketing Officer of La Prairie
The brand’s origins can be traced back to the famous La Prairie Clinic in Montreux, Switzerland, a pioneer in anti-ageing cellular therapy.