Jo Malone London activation premieres in Fortnite

The British luxury fragrance brand is using the Epic Games platform to plug its new Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne through an immersive, exploration-based digital world. Image credit: Jo Malone London

British luxury fragrance brand Jo Malone London is trading the fragrance counter for a game map.

The Estée Lauder Companies-owned brand has launched its first activation in Fortnite, working with Epic Games on a custom-built world tied to its new Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne. The experience draws on the British coast, the scent’s stated inspiration, and is playable from Aug. 10 through Aug. 24.

Discovery beyond the counter

Users can access the digital Jo Malone experience on the Fortnite platform by using island code 8532-9413-6963.

Around the map, an influencer program runs Twitch livestreams and social content, extending the activation beyond the players who load the island directly.

The Estée Lauder Companies-owned brand has launched its first activation in Fortnite. Image credit: Jo Malone London

The coastal map was built by games studio Chartis within Minigame Box PvP, an existing Fortnite experience, with players moving through the scent’s story through exploration rather than instruction.

Virtual-world agency GEEIQ and talent firm Cherry Pick Talent also worked on the project.

Last December, the brand launched an AI scent advisor tool ( see story ), teaming up with Pinterest on the more recent debut of its Scent Scanner, a custom experience that provides personalized product recommendations based on users’ saved content ( see story ).