Diesel lets you dress your fragrance to suit your personal style. Shown here are choices for the women's flacon.

Fragrance with Attitude

Brand marketers and component suppliers are reaching new levels of creativity as they meet consumers’ demands for individuality, practicality and quality of design—not to mention heavenly scents.

By Jamie Matusow, Editor

Few beauty products generate as personal a statement and create as strong an emotional appeal as fragrance—and, oddly enough, the connection is often triggered before the scent even reaches the consumer’s olfactory nerve.
  
Steve Corsi, director of design development for Markwins International, told me about a recent conversation he had with “a very high-powered industry exec” concerning a new high-profile fragrance package they were auditioning scents for. “They claimed,” he said, “that in the end, the scent really doesn’t matter; if you get the package and positioning right, it will sell.
  
“It’s no secret,” Corsi continued, “that packaging is the silent salesman in cosmetics, but it is especially the case in fragrance. Not to make too much of a generalization, the scent of an ‘evergreen’ like Chanel No. 5 will always be important, but in today’s fragrance world, which has seen a staggering number of launches in the last five years, one could be forgiven for thinking that at least in terms of sales, the packaging/marketing is as important or in many cases more important than the fragrance itself.”
  

Sensuous offers a strikingly beautiful bottle and a twist on customization, with its "every woman wears it her way" marketing approach.

While brand manufacturers are going the distance in creating new addictive juices—as well as custom, personalized blends—they’re also reaching out to suppliers to accommodate consumers’ individual penchants for style and embracing fragrance as a fashion accessory. From gallery-worthy flacons to bottles that can be “dressed” to match an individual’s personality, to a slew of purse-sized options for the on-the-go lifestyle, to tying the brand to a movie or a beneficent cause, innovation in the fragrance market continues at full throttle.
  
While sales in the U.S. fragrance market have slowed slightly in recent years, remaining at about $3.3 billion, industry forecasters predict strong growth through 2012, thanks in part to worldwide demand and emerging markets. According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, fragrance launches forged ahead with 388 entries in the U.S. in 2007, with releases at mid-year 2008 already reaching close to that. Euromonitor, too, predicts growth of the $30.5 billion global fragrance market to $35 billion by 2011.

Celebrities Stay in the Limelight

Celebrity appeal continues, both in the U.S. and around the world, long after industry pundits expected it to fade sharply. “Globally, new product launches of celebrity endorsed fragrances have increased by double digits for all of the past three years,” says Nica Lewis, a beauty innovation analyst with Mintel. “The majority of this activity has been in Europe,” she adds, “followed by the U.S.”
  
John Deputato, senior vice president of client solutions and IRI beauty expert, echoes the strength of star power: “In the women’s fragrance category, celebrity and designer brands have been major factors of growth (over 25% and 20%, respectively) and we would expect those trends to continue into 2009.”
  

Miaaoni purse-sized sprays are totable and refillable, too.

A Euromonitor report focusing on the UK puts celebrity fragrances at 40% of the fragrance market, with more than 30 brands introduced in 2007. Men, too, have been taken in by the celebrity craze, and Euromonitor says the global market in men’s fragrances grew by more than 50% in 2007. The men’s fragrance market is expected to reach $13 billion by 2012, according to Euromonitor.

A Return to Quality

While celebrity fragrances hold their own, there’s an increasing call to go deeper than name only. According to a Mintel report, there are plenty of opportunities in the somewhat sluggish fragrance market, “but marketers and manufacturers need to offer something more than pleasant scents and nice bottles,” a sentiment echoed by Markwins’ Corsi, who lobbies for “a return to aspirational quality in design concept, design and manufacturing. The point,” he continues, “is to provide a true piece of fragrance art that means something to the consumer beyond a name. The return-to-quality trend is essential.”

Beautiful Bottles

Corsi notes two recent fragrance-packaging knockouts that caught his packaging designer eye—Estée Lauder’s Sensuous and Lancôme’s Magnifique—both of which he compares to Lancôme’s release several years ago of Hypnôse. “Hypnôse,” he says, “caused a minor sensation.” Corsi describes Hypnôse as “an instant classic, what good fragrance packaging design is all about.” He likens it to “a piece of jewelry,” and says, “it fascinates with an idea based on mathematics, science and art—and does all this with tasteful restraint. It underlines that well-thought-out design creates its own value. I’ll say that it was instrumental in the current trend back to quality in design.”
  

Magnifique's ruby-colored flacon marks the trend for red.

Corsi refers to Sensuous as “an exquisitely laid-out geometric pattern in 3D space.” The striking flacon, created by Lloyd and Co. and manufactured by Pochet, is flint glass, decorated in one color with organic soy-based ink. The pump, provided by Calmar, contains metal parts anodized in the line image gold; the angular, rose-gold cap, from Qualipac, is metalized ABS (plastic) in the line image gold, with a polypropylene inner.
  
The bottle features delicate fluting, an Estée Lauder signature, which flows diagonally across the glass, adding texture and dimension to the classic silhouette. The effect was challenging to achieve, according to Humberto Rebolledo, executive director Estée Lauder package development, who says, “The ‘swirls’ on the back of the bottle needed to be well-defined and soft to the touch, but at the same time convey a sense of luxury.”
  
Not only does Sensuous break ground with its brilliant packaging, but Estée Lauder also reached new levels in creativity with both the fragrance and the ad campaign. Karyn Khoury, senior vice president of corporate fragrance development worldwide, The Estée Lauder Companies, says, “When creating Sensuous, we wanted to re-invent the idea of feminine woods and change the texture and sensation of woods for women.” To capture the essence of sensuality, Estée Lauder created a new fragrance category called Woody Amber. Marketed as “Every Woman Wears It Her Way,” the ad campaign features all four Estée Lauder spokesmodels— Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley, Hilary Rhoda and Carolyn Murphy—emphasizing the beauty and sensuality of women at various ages.
  
Magnifique, described as Lancôme’s most daring fragrance yet, was unveiled at a star-studded event in Paris, worthy of a world-class movie premiere. Corsi defines its spectacular scarlet-toned bottle as “a modern day, art deco-esque study with a twist, in terms of a larger than normal diameter with relation to height, given to a cylinder described by vertical lines.”
  

Rexam's XD11 suits deluxe, high-end fragrances thanks to smooth ergonomics and an ultra-low profile. A finger-shaped actuator provides comfort and control.

The Magnifique bottle features graduated shades of ruby, accented by finely chiseled vertical facets. Supported by a mirrored silver ring and a crystalline stopper cut like a diamond, it was designed by H5, a team of French graphic artists known for their music videos. The carton picks up the ruby red with a show-stopping metallic hologram-like image.
  
Magnifique, created to appeal to a woman’s sophisticated style and flair for excitement, speaks volumes even before she inhales the spicy, floral, woodsy scent, complete with a note of nagarmota, which master perfumers Olivier Cresp and Jacques Cavallier discovered on a trip to India.

Men’s Art Fragrance

Lest men feel neglected by all this beauty in fragrance bottles, along comes Lalique White. World-renowned for its crystal, the flacons Lalique created for this line combine a brilliant white with magical opal tones from milky white to fiery orange. Soft corners round the opaque square flask. A silver chrome ring and cap add a metallic flash, while a white signature contrasts with the Lalique name. The perfume extract is offered in a limited edition of 25 flacons, numbered and signed by Lalique glass masters.

Customize It

Diesel’s beautiful, but edgy, vintage style bottles, could be displayed in a cutting-edge SoHo gallery. The Italian design company took “daring” to a whole new level when its fragrance licensee L’Oréal launched Fuel for Life in 2007. Fabric was used as a decorative element on the bottles in keeping with founder Renzo Rosso’s design aesthetic, which favors individual style. A lacy feminine fabric wraps the women’s fragrance in a phial reminiscent of the 1930s, while a zippered, rugged “jacket” covers the masculine blend in a bottle resembling a vintage whiskey flask that’s topped off with a heavier cap. Fragrances come in cartons that look to be hand-wrapped in aged paper.
  

Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession from Coty.

But Diesel didn’t stop with its creation of an industry phenomenon—embellishing bottles with fabric. Instead, the innovative brand took the trend a step further, playing to consumers’ growing desire for customization. The company introduced a limited edition Pouch Collection in June 2008, at Diesel Boutiques, becoming the first beauty brand to create this type of personalization for a scent. “We wanted to marry the fashion heritage and lifestyle aspect of the brand with beauty,” says Ulli Lindauer, vice president of marketing, Diesel Fragrances.
  
Twelve “outfits,” designed by Wilbert Das, creative director for Diesel, and his team, allow consumers to dress the bottles to suit their individual lifestyle—from black leather to metallic, lace to denim, zippers to chains, even applying the Diesel logo of choice—all based on the iconic styles that define the Diesel brand.
  
“Overall,” says Lindauer, “the response to Fuel For Life has been overwhelmingly positive, as people are inspired by the entire package... And now that Diesel is offering consumers a way to personalize their fragrance, there is a new sense of excitement because this is new and lends itself to the Diesel lifestyle of creating and celebrating your own identity.”

Blend Your Own

For the ultimate in personalization and customization, why not create your own fragrance and package it in a way that best suits your lifestyle? Mélange (French for to blend), an apothecary in ShermanOaks, CA, features a fragrance bar stocked with more than 80 fragrances and essential oils, Customers can choose from a wide variety of products for blending, then choose to package the scents as sprays in bottles or as purse-sized solids or rollerballs. Home and personal care options are also
available. Products are labeled and formulas are recorded on private customer profiles for
future orders. Online customers can purchase a kit for $25.

Take It Along

While Melange stands out for its custom scents, it is not alone in offering rollerballs and small pots of solids. Brands such as Michael Kors, Britney Spears and Vera Wang Princess take it a step further, combining rollerballs with lipgloss for the ultimate two-in-one, on-the-go accessory. While purse-size fragrance offerings fuel the growing market for convenience and airline regulations, they serve other purposes as well. Smaller sizes can also be sold at smaller price points. Euromonitor noted this trend when Elizabeth Arden introduced Curious Britney Spears into the mass channel with a 30ml bottle, lowering price points for a younger market.
  

Rollerball/lipgloss provides the ideal on-the-go acessory.

Jan Moran, noted fragrance expert, author of the Fabulous Fragrances book series and creator of the Scentsa Fragrance Finder, a state-of-the-art custom program developed especially for Sephora stores, says small fragrance packages are not only convenient, they serve as fashion accessories. “With existing TSA fragrance regulations (1oz.), there has been a definite increase in the number of purse-sized fragrances, as well as those that are available as solids and roll-ons,” says Moran.
  
“Additionally,” says Moran, “there are … brands that offer embellishments in the forms of rings and charms. An extension to one’s wardrobe, these ‘accessories’ offer a more fashionable way to package a solid fragrance. For example, Marc Jacobs Daisy Solid Perfume Ring allows you to wear your fragrance as a ring, plus, it comes with a trendy gold coin purse. With the Missoni Perfume Charm Necklace, you can wear your fragrance as a chic necklace and/or dress up any purse or belt with the attachable Yves Saint Laurent Elle Charm.”
  
“Scentsa will revolutionize the way we traditionally think about finding a fragrance,” said Betsy Olum, Sephora’s senior vice president of marketing. “With this groundbreaking program, our clients will be able to quickly and easily locate a fragrance favorite or discover a new one.” Scentsa allows shoppers to search by brand name, fragrance name, fragrance notes and bestsellers.

Perfume with a Purpose

Perhaps, one day, Scentsa will add search categories for charitable causes and movie tie-ins, as fragrance collaborations seem to be a growing trend. As an example, Mintel’s Lewis cites youth-oriented Parfums Clayeux and Kaloo Parfums for creating perfumes that support a UNICEF program that aids children in Darfur.
  
Recently, Coty Inc. announced the philanthropic launch of La Voce by Renée Fleming, to honor the Metropolitan Opera’s star soprano. The beauty company will donate proceeds from sales of the limited edition prestige fragrance to the Metropolitan Opera. The fragrance’s debut will coincide with the Met’s opening night gala on September 22.
  
Meanwhile, Avon has taken on “the big screen” with its innovative launch of Bond Girl 007, created in partnership with the James Bond entertainment franchise. The fragrance will tie into the October release of the new Bond action flick “Quantum of Solace.” British actress Gemma Arterton, who plays the role of Agent Fields in the film, will appear in ads and TV spots as the face of the new fragrance.
  

Lalique's simplicity highlights the milky-white, opaline glass.

“This is the first time an Avon fragrance has been tied to a movie release,” says Patricia Demnisky-Green, Avon’s director, global package design, who, with Eric Lee, senior manager, package design, created the sleek, curvaceous bottle reminiscent of a woman’s body, along with the cap, which looks like a James Bond spy gadget. Demnisky-Green says that the movie is more of an activation element—leveraging Arterton and the excitement of the movie to create more buzz and excitement for the fragrance.
  
She says the most challenging part of the project was the timeline. “We worked on the fragrance so far in advance, but the movie will not be final until a month or two before it releases,” she says.
  
The bottle for Bond Girl 007 is made from undecorated flint glass, A sort, while the
closure is a weighted polypropylene that gives the closure a heavy “hand.” The collar is made of polypropylene. Both components are vacuum metalized. SGD produced the glass for the U.S.
  
“The closure collar system was challenging,” admits Demnisky-Green—“developing a sturdy ringed system, small enough so a consumer cannot insert a finger to activate the actuator and large enough to pull it off.” When assembled to the collar, the closure/collar system makes a complete high-tech system. “We needed to identify an overlacquer impervious to the product itself so integrity of the package could be maintained,” says Demnisky-Green.
  

Avon's Bond Girl 007

Demnisky-Green says they chose not to decorate the bottle because they thought it was more feminine and beautiful to keep the bottle clean and focus the branding on the collar. “Also,” she says, “the curve of the bottle is beautiful and we didn’t want to take away from that element.”  
  
A shiny, silver, outer carton, embossed with “gun barrel” graphics that are iconic to Bond “really emphasizes the Bond branding,” says Demnisky-Green.
  
The fragrance, created by Firmenich, is described by Avon as a sexy cocktail of velvety florals, cool freshness and warm woods.
  
Can we expect to catch a glimpse of the bottle somewhere in the Bond film?
  
“We’ll have to wait and see,” teases Demnisky-Green.