POP Displays and L'Oreal Wins GOLD in Cosmetics
March 12, 2007

L'Oreal won a Gold OMA (Outstanding Merchandising Award) for its ProManicure Nail Trays, produced by POP Displays, at the POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising Institute) Global Shop Show on March 8 in Las Vegas .

Finding a Better Way for Consumers

Laurie Houlihan, AVP Merchandising and Promotional Packaging at L'Oreal observed, "Consumers were dissatisfied with the accuracy of color strips and color chips representing nail color at retail. As a result, consumers often opened bottles and tried it on. Hands-on experimentation is effective in salons, but not practical in mass outlets." L'Oreal wanted a merchandising solution to reconcile the consumer needs with retail requirements. Their launch of ProManicure, a line of 7-day salon color and shine with a streak free precision brush for smooth and even application, was the ideal product for this innovative initiative.

ProManicure Nail Trays show a replica of a perfectly shaped, color-matched nail. By extending the nail beyond the display, the consumer can place her fingertip beneath the nail and simulate how the color will look against her skin tone. Consumers find interacting with the perfectly manicured nails hard to resist. This is what women aspire in manicures, so for the time she spends at the unit, she becomes that person with perfect, salon nails. By taking out the guesswork, she is more satisfied with her purchase. This approach reinforces the salon quality of L'Oreal ProManicure.

Retailers Benefit

"Retailers don't have to worry about consumers opening bottles and trying on color. They don't have to worry about messy shelves and returns", stated Neil Lieberman, <title> at POP Displays. Retailers also find the unit easy to update. As colors are introduced each season, nails can be snapped out and replaced. The modular unit fits directly into the L'Oreal wall, utilizing their current cube structure.

Hundreds of units were entered into the OMA competition. Judging is rigorous and examines how well each display delivers against the brand, retail and consumer objectives.