We all know that when Oprah Winfrey likes something and she promotes it through her TV show, website or magazine, that product is going to do very well.
So when Simone Taylor of Australian brand Louvelle was told she had made it onto Oprah’s Favourite Things List 2017, she knew things were about to change.
“I got an email when I woke up one day in September and couldn’t believe it was really happening,” she enthuses.
“The Oprah magazine team discovered us at a trade show in the US (Atlanta Mart) and declared Louvelle showerwear the hottest new launch of the year. We then sent samples to Oprah and the team to try.”
Once you have made it onto her list, brands need to make the product available and shipping from the US and through Oprah’s Amazon storefront until Christmas, says Taylor.
“There was quite a bit of technology that had to integrate with our systems, the need to get more stock produced and increased staff to handle the influx of orders. Brands also need to give away product to 20 readers who win a competition.”
In the December issue of O magazine, Oprah shared why she loves Louvelle showerwear so much. “It’s no secret that our country is deeply divided. But here’s one thing we can all agree on: every woman needs a good shower cap! These turban-style numbers have quick-dry fabric and a waterproof lining,” she wrote.
Being one of Oprah’s favourite products and receiving this kind of glowing praise is sure to open many doors for the brands involved, as it has done for Louvelle.
“We have already secured distribution with Nordstrom and this will only increase interest in the brand from other leading retailers in the US. It’s a tough market to crack but we are chipping away with great sales teams. We now have distribution into over 200 retail outlets,” adds Taylor.
“Thousands of brands try to get on this list each year, so we feel very lucky to have been chosen. To have the endorsement of Oprah is a huge milestone for our young Australian brand.”
Louvelle was one of four Australian brands that made the list including Orbitcard, Emu Australia and the Glass Gratitude Jar.
Claire Summers, the woman behind the Glass Gratitude Jar concept says it was amazing to be picked by Oprah. “I was invited as a guest to the big reveal and she shared me as her favourite, I was the only one brought up to speak because of my story,” she explains.
“I was the number one selling product on Amazon that day and sales have just continued to go crazy.”
The concept is simple: every day you open the jar and write down on one of the 365 cards what you are grateful for that day.
Summers was in a very dark place when she started writing daily notes of gratitude to herself to dig deep and rediscover beauty in the important things in her life. She eventually started to see the light, moved to the US but continued the make the jars for her friends and anyone who needed one.
Then she decided to show her products at NY NOW in August, where she also won the best new product award, which is where Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine, spotted the jars.
During the unveiling of the favourites list, Oprah said the idea really impressed her. “The jar will change your life and the dynamics of your family. You focus on the positives and what you have and you will begin to see how much you have and you will have more, that’s how you increase it, so I love this,” she said.
By Marion Gerritsen
