LONDON — With gross sales final yr of greater than $4 billion, Pandora is already one of many world’s greatest jewellery manufacturers however its ambitions stretch approach past stability sheet development. The Copenhagen-based firm is leveling up its design and dealing to embed itself in standard tradition with the purpose of changing into the go-to jeweler throughout generations — and geographies.
From its advert campaigns, courtesy of Fabien Baron, to its newest “Be Love” message and its push past signature charms into lab-grown diamond jewellery and extra sculptural collections, Pandora is quick outpacing its branded rivals by way of gross sales, demographic attain and attraction.
Its alternative of marketing campaign faces equivalent to Pamela Anderson, Winona Ryder and Selma Blair — all of whom are of their 50s — and Iman, who will flip 70 in July, is a transparent assertion of intent. It’s additionally a radically totally different method from its competitor Swarovski, which tapped the 31-year-old Ariana Grande as model ambassador final yr.
“We’re about inclusivity, and about ensuring that everybody can get their piece of magnificence and design. We’re a model of favor and substance and we selected these ladies as a result of they’re individuals of substance,” mentioned Berta de Pablos-Barbier in her first interview as chief advertising officer of Pandora.
Requested whether or not these marketing campaign stars — whose profession heydays had been within the ’80s and ’90s — resonate internationally, and with a youthful viewers, de Pablos-Barbier mentioned the faces don’t matter as a lot because the vibe.
Berta de Pablos-Barbier
Todd Rosenberg/Courtesy of Mars
“What’s essential is that you simply, as a shopper, join with the message that love is transformative, and that for those who convey a bit of bit of affection into the world, it might probably make a giant distinction. That idea is common. All people, regardless of the place they dwell, can join with it, even when they don’t acknowledge the faces” within the campaigns, she added.
Within the U.S. and Europe, that message has been resonating. De Pablos-Barbier mentioned that one in two Italians owns a Pandora merchandise, which isn’t shocking given the nation’s sturdy jewellery business and love of gold.
In Spain, Pandora is the primary jewellery model, with gross sales rising at 10 p.c year-on-year due partly to finely tuned social media campaigns.
The U.S. stays Pandora’s largest market, producing round one-third of income, and there are additional plans for enlargement within the area.
On June 6 in Las Vegas — simply in time for the annual JCK/Couture jewellery truthful — Pandora will open a new-generation flagship designed as a “model home” that can supply immersive, and “future-facing” retail experiences.
As a result of Las Vegas is Pandora’s high international marketplace for lab-grown diamonds, there may also be a devoted diamond bar, in addition to a craftsmanship studio highlighting the model’s design course of.
Designs from Pandora’s summer season Essence assortment.
There are plans for an “interactive allure bar” impressed by a Vegas card seller’s desk, in addition to devoted engraving stations. The shop is a part of a five-year flagship enlargement plan, with 15 to 18 flagship areas anticipated globally.
Pandora can be increasing Essence, a recent assortment that launched final yr, providing sculptural designs impressed by nature. Essence has to this point been a hit. Within the fourth quarter of 2024, it notched income of 232 million Danish kroner, or greater than $35 million, with demand fueled by clients who had been new to the model.
The summer season marketing campaign, which breaks on Thursday, options inlaid, man-made stones and Murano glass carved into symbolic and animal shapes. The items are comprised of 14-karat gold plate and sterling silver, with design inspirations drawn from the seaside.
Pandora’s coloured glass, animal shapes, charms and different add-ons are rigorously designed to attraction to a world viewers, and to permit clients to precise their individuality.
Charms from the brand new Pandora summer season Essence assortment.
Charms may be clipped onto necklaces of varied lengths and bracelets, rings may be stacked alternative ways, and beads may be strung or unstrung onto chains relying on whether or not the wearer is in a maximalist or minimalist temper. There are additionally personalization and restore providers throughout the shop property.
“The merchandise are versatile, they encourage the creativity of the buyer. That versatility additionally means we will alter the styling in our campaigns to ensure they mirror the style and the totally different cultural codes within the Center East, France, America or Japan,” de Pablos-Barbier mentioned.
Even the colours are thought-about.
De Pablos-Barbier mentioned that in China turquoise is an emblem of the start of life, whereas in Western cultures it is likely to be tied to a beginning month or a selected reminiscence or second. “Folks convey totally different meanings to their items, and that’s the aim of Pandora, to assist individuals specific all their totally different [loves],” she mentioned.
De Pablos-Barbier has spent a lot of her profession considering globally and performing regionally. Most not too long ago, she served because the president and chief govt officer of the LVMH-owned Champagne manufacturers Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon and Mercier, the place she spearheaded improvements.
Previous to that, she was chief development officer of Mars Wrigley and chief advertising officer of Lacoste, the place she led the model’s international repositioning. She additionally has expertise in excessive jewellery, serving as vp of promoting and communications at Boucheron, which is owned by Kering.
She mentioned that with any product, be it Champagne, chocolate or luxurious style, “globally, you just be sure you are connecting your model to a common perception that could be a human fact. You make that ruthlessly easy — and constant. For us it’s ‘Be Love,’ a message that travels throughout cultures and nations.”
A gold-plated chain from the brand new Pandora Essence summer season assortment.
She added: “You then use that layer of which means to speak in regards to the model in several languages and with cultural codes that swimsuit the native shopper. You do it with the identical product, which is the great thing about the work.”
Regardless of its double-digit development final yr, Pandora nonetheless has far to go.
“We aren’t actually massive within the Far East, and we haven’t actually cracked China but. We’re involved in Japan, and we’re getting good indicators from a number of the different markets, like Southeast Asia and [South] Korea, however all that continues to be a giant alternative,” she mentioned.
Pandora additionally has to determine the right way to deal with its extremely penetrated markets, equivalent to Italy, the place like-for-like gross sales within the fourth quarter had been down 10 p.c because of weaker visitors, macroeconomic challenges and an intense promotional setting.
Pandora mentioned earlier this yr that it plans to speculate extra within the area, “driving cultural relevance and model warmth at a neighborhood stage, together with earned media.”
De Pablos-Barbier mentioned the model additionally desires to tweak the way in which it sells lab-grown diamonds. There are plans to construct devoted areas in shops, make the supply extra distinctive from the remainder of the jewellery, and promote the brand new Microfine Diamonds vary.
Winona Ryder in Pandora’s “Be Love” 2025 marketing campaign.
Courtesy of Pandora/Craig McDean
In 2024, Pandora mentioned its lab-grown diamonds posted 315 million Danish kroner, or $50 million, in income with like-for-like development of 43 p.c.
The corporate mentioned the diamonds have had a “tangible optimistic halo impact on the model,” and whereas development is predicted to proceed, the worldwide rollout will proceed at a slower tempo than initially anticipated.
Pandora mentioned the 1 billion kroner, or $100 million, income goal for the lab-grown rocks stays a key ambition, although it’s now anticipated to be achieved past 2026.
For fall, de Pablos-Barbier mentioned there may be extra newness in retailer, with a sequence of recent charms and a gold-plated “maximal” assortment, which Pandora will market internationally, paying shut consideration to the native markets.
