Over the course of this series, we've examined thirteen brands that pretend to be from somewhere they're not. Danish ice cream from the Bronx. Japanese streetwear from Cheltenham. Italian tailors who never existed. Norwegian skincare from Los Angeles. French sandwiches from London.
In a series dedicated to brands that fake their foreign heritage, L'Occitane en Provence presents a unique and fascinating case. Unlike Häagen-Dazs or Superdry, L'Occitane is genuinely French. It was founded in Provence, and its products are still largely made in France. So why is it included in a series about "fake branding"? Because L'Occitane is a master of a more subtle, and perhaps more effective, form of marketing deception: strategic exaggeration.