Orient Express
For over 130 years, Orient Express (Accor Group) has been a cosmopolitan icon, an emblem of timeless luxury. This legendary blend of exotic opulence and utmost refinement is exemplified in the ambitious restoration and refurbishment of the train’s 17 historic carriages, in collaboration with French luxury houses and craftsmen, as well as in a collection of Orient Express hotels, inviting travelers to experience an extraordinary timeless moment.
domaines
Arts and craft
Art
Environmental transition
Education
Patronage
Design
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At Accor’s request, l’art en plus has designed a creative, educational cultural program to share the milestones of this historic project between now and the launch of the fully restored train, and to promote the brand.
Intended to combine the promotion of an ultra-luxury experience for an international clientele with a historical and patrimonial approach to be shared with a wide audience in France and beyond, the strategy aims to document and enhance the extraordinary adventure of the rebirth of the Orient Express, and to shed light on the heritage and history of the famous train, making this project the standard-bearer for excellence and the art of living “à la française”.
Following a phase of analysis and reflection carried out in collaboration with the Orient Express teams, l’art en plus suggested several major themes and activation components, various partnerships with prestigious institutions and events, and “revelatory” following the calendar of major stages of the train’s Renaissance.
For the first phase of the cultural program, l’art en plus coordinated the creation of archives and editorial content to document and showcase the French talent and expertise involved. With a dedicated team in place, the agency was responsible for coordinating the content produced: benchmarking, proposing briefings and roadmaps for suppliers (photographs, editors, videographers) for workshop visits and interviews, editorialization, adaptation for distribution on the brand’s digital platforms, its social networks and to the media, etc.
Proposed and initiated by l’art en plus, the partnerships agreement signed with one of the world’s most prestigious art and design schools, ENSAD (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs) in Paris, crystallized the second part of the strategy to share the Renaissance of the Orient Express, with a particular focus on young talent, prescribers and professionals. A dedicated educational program, designed and implemented in collaboration with the teaching staff as part of the 2023-2024 academic year, invited 3rd year students in the Textile and Material Design department to reflect on the know-how and crafts (industrial and artisanal) involved in a railway transport and, more broadly, to conduct a global reflection on mobility with regard to current social and climatic issues. The projects proposed by the students – motifs, materials, concepts, etc. – will be exhibited and shared with a wide audience.
Other highlights of this unique cultural program include the “unveiling” of mock-ups of future restored cars, which are still under consideration.