Celebrity-infused events spice up New York heatwave-fueled summer retail doldrums

By

Roxanne Robinson

Published
Jul 18, 2024

The dwindling traffic footprint of physical retail has been transforming store spaces for well over a decade into entertainment centers to entice customers inside. In Manhattan on Tuesday, a pair of events punctuated the draw of celebrity as a way for stores to create buzz.

Inside air-conditioned salons with refreshments and star sightings, guests at Bergdorf Goodman and Swarovski had a chance to get up close and personal with Sophie Turner in conjunction with St-Germain liqueur and Rachel Zegler, presumably tied to the upcoming 'Snow White' Disney film, respectively.

At the iconic upscale department store, the Bacardi-owned Elderflower low-alcohol sweet spirit brand unveiled a pop-up St-Germain Hugo Spritz counter that will serve free of charge samples of the trendy cocktail to guests starting on July 17 through 21.

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Placed in the store's lower-level beauty department, the drink pop-up is a fun take on the idea of the beauty counter, apropos, as one iteration of the bottle resembles a vintage spray perfume bottle. It's another example of wine and spirits marketing that is upping the ante in its affiliation to fashion, evolving from a sideline partner supplying parties with free booze to sharing equal billing with fashion brand names.

Turner starred in St-Germain's summer campaign film, which depicts the 'Game of Thrones' actress in a cheeky double entendre dialogue ordering a cocktail from a hunky French barman in a South of France resort. For the event, Turner, wearing a cream Nadine Merabi linen vest and pants, went behind the bar to serve the prepared libation made from the liqueur, prosecco, and club soda garnished with mint and lime. Looking ever the natural, Turner posed for photos holding a trayful of the drinks served in custom hi-ball glasses that resemble the bottle design and accented with a mettle flower swivel stick.

According to St-Germain brand director Stacy Belter, social media confirmed an uptick in popularity for the libation, billed as a lighter, brighter, fresher version of the other Spritz standard bearer, the Aperol Spritz, since last summer. Turner, who professed to be a fan of the cocktail, was an obvious choice for the newly single actress who is "always game for anything," according to another brand rep.

The Bergdorf Goodman location is the marquee kick-off spot for the summer Hugo Spritz counter, followed by select hospitality locations across the country. For Bergdorf Goodman, it's another hospitality-centric experience that the landmark store has been nurturing of late.
 
It recently revamped its basement-level dining establishment into Café Ginori in partnership with the Italian porcelain-centric brand Ginori 1735 and has been outfitted in the porcelain brand's colorful maximalist motifs. It's believed that the store has more hospitality-centric plans for the fall. So far, following the acquisition by Saks Fifth Avenue's parent company, HBC, it's business as usual for the retailer, which has been part of the Neiman Marcus Group.
 
Just before the event a few blocks down at Swarovski's newly opened Fifth Avenue flagship—which is designed like one gigantic multi-color jewelry box—media, influencers, and KOL experienced a conversation led by head of Sotheby's media Kristina O'Neill with Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Zegler.
 
O'Neill queried the actress about her sudden rise to fame after playing Maria in the recent movie adaptation of 'West Side Story', which earned her the prestigious award in 2022. The pair also discussed Zegler's upcoming roles, such as Juliet in this fall's Broadway rendition of 'Romeo and Juliet' directed by Sam Gold and her role as Snow White in the upcoming Disney live-action adaption of the classic cartoon movie. The latter is seemingly a fit for Swarovski, who partnered with the beloved princess and theme-park-centric brand on their 100th anniversary in 2023, as well as previously. Despite her sudden rise to fame, the New Jersey-native actress, wearing a sizeable heart-shaped crystal brooch on a flirty printed dress, says she keeps it real by walking her dog and cooking her favorite foods like Arroz con Pollo.
 
On the same day, Swarovski named global best-selling, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress Ariana Grande as brand ambassador. The partnership will kick off with the holiday 2024 campaign featuring the performer with a solid vocal range who also advocates for inclusivity and empowerment.