Workshop Weekend: Project Burrasca

BSP Weekend Workshop 2005

11-13th March 2005, Imperial Hotel, Hythe

Project ‘Burrasca’, A Roaring Success

An intensive weekend of learning and practical application faced the participants on joining the programme on the Friday afternoon. There was not much time to enjoy the sea views from the hotel as the groups battled it out to devise a winning fragrance.

Harley Davidson recently celebrated their 100th birthday and have fragrance products marketed under the brand. No internet download of ideas permitted here! Project ‘Burrasca*’ provided an Italian / European marketing platform to fuel fragrance creation.

‘An unmatched performance on the race track coupled with Italian design flare has made the ‘Burrasca’ the European icon. ‘Burrasca’ bikes have speed and performance to match any Mediterranean storm for
spectacle. All this coupled with seductive, graceful, flowing lines.
‘Burrasca’ is a classic brand in every sense of the word.

‘Burrasca’ have been approached by a global company manufacturing a range of high profile branded personal care products and fine fragrances. It is intended to license the ‘Burrasca’ brand for personal care and fine fragrances, for the European market. Your creative fragrance house has been approached to provide fragrances for this exciting new venture. For the purposes of this workshop the focus will be on shower gel/bath foam. You need only work on one variant which will be assigned to you.

*‘Burrasca’ was a fictitious name for the workshop weekend to avoid any problems with copyright

The four groups were assigned their variant from the 4 concepts briefed by their ‘client’:

Mountain Dawn: It is spring. The freedom of the open spaces, the free road. The invigoration of the early rising sun over the distant, snow covered, Italian Alps, before the gentle heat of the spring day.
Mediterranean beach: Marine, fun, sparkling, simmering hot beaches, cool blue transparent water, vibrant, yet with Italian style.
‘Burrasca’ Woman: Female variant. Independent, in control, wind through her hair, sensual Italian style.
Mediterranean summer storm: Crackling with electric energy. Dark with explosive power. Wild wind and rain followed by peace and the fresh crispness of wet ground after the oppressive dust and heat of the summer day.

Friday evening and already the groups were hard at work developing their concepts.

The groups were not set adrift – throughout the weekend a series of master-class lectures and workshops provided information and guidance.

By Saturday night the tension was rising but participants and presenters could chill out over the course dinner and the quiz. Just in case there was some remaining tension and to wake people-up, Sunday morning was given a high note with a creative session on the African drums.

Working with a set of fragrance accords, final adjustments were made to the formulations. Other member of the groups keyed in the last of the graphics into hot laptops. A few scouts were sent out on safari for finishing touch props for the presentations (one group acquired bike leathers and a helmet!).

All the lectures, workshops and syndicate sessions came together with a set of outstanding presentations of some interesting fragrances. Participants and presenters went away rather tired but enthusiasm ignited by an exciting weekend and armed with more skills and knowledge from the master-class lectures.

By Tony Curtis

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