The Power of Press Trips – Going International to Celebrate 180 Years of La Redoute
If there’s one thing we’ll always champion in PR, it’s the power of experience.
But before we even dreamed of heading far afield, we had a very clear job to do: to help media better understand how La Redoute is perceived in France – a brand with deep heritage, trusted by generations, yet still evolving creatively today.
While a press release can tell a story, a press trip truly lets you live it, immersing media in the world of La Redoute in a way that simply isn’t possible from afar. And what better way to do that than by taking key media and influencers back to where it all started? Roubaix has always been central to that story for La Redoute, and after years of us collectively seeing the benefit of experiencing it for themselves, it felt particularly special when we could finally make it happen – whisking five press and influencer contacts away on an exclusive two-day trip to northern France, the home of La Redoute.
Attendees specialised in both fashion and lifestyle, ensuring a mix of voices who could each tell a different part of the La Redoute story to their audiences.
Our journey started with business class Eurostar travel from London to Lille (truly setting the scene and experience), arriving in glorious sunshine and the kind of picture-perfect French backdrop you can’t plan for.
After checking in, we headed out to visit the AM.PM store, one of La Redoute’s premium home brands, giving guests a first-hand look at the craftsmanship and design detail up close. Since we don’t have any physical stores in the UK, this gave media the rare yet valuable opportunity to experience the brand in person rather than purely through imagery and online links.
From there, it was time to explore. A few hours of sightseeing and shopping gave everyone a chance to soak up Lille before regrouping for dinner. While the brand moments are always important, it’s these in-between moments where conversations happen naturally and relationships build properly that really count. You can’t manufacture that over email.
A bright and early start on Friday took us from Lille to Roubaix and straight to the heart of the brand, visiting La Redoute’s headquarters.
We were given exclusive access to the design teams behind La Redoute Interieurs, La Redoute Collections and AM.PM, with talks that pulled back the curtain on everything from design inspiration to product development. There’s something incredibly powerful about hearing directly from the people behind the brand, and it’s these details that turn a standard piece of coverage into something much more considered.
We also got a first look at upcoming collections (cue a lot of mentally filling shopping baskets) and plenty of time for interviews, so everyone could dig deeper and shape their own angles.
After lunch at Bien Heureux, we headed to La Piscine for the main event: a private preview of the La Redoute: 180 Years of Creation & Art de Vivre exhibition ahead of its public opening.
This wasn’t just a quick walkthrough – it was a chance to properly get under the skin of the brand. From its origins as a 19th-century wool mill to becoming one of France’s most renowned fashion and home brands, the retrospective displayed historic catalogues, archival pieces and contemporary collections in a way that gave real, authentic context to the brand’s evolution.
We were also among the first to see three capsule collections, adding another layer of exclusivity for the attending media.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to London – slightly tired but full of ideas, conversations and stories already starting to take shape.
When you give the right people meaningful access to the brand, you don’t just get coverage. You build genuine relationships between brands and media while creating space for more thoughtful, in-depth storytelling. Allowing media to experience the brand first-hand, with access that you simply don’t get over email, is what makes all the difference.
And already, we’re seeing exactly that. Real relationships turning into considered storytelling and quality coverage that truly reflect the depth of the La Redoute brand. Tres bien, indeed!
