Fragrance themes

In a recent lecture we were learning about the three main themes used in the perfume industry. Their are many more potential themes however i have decided to look at some current examples of advertising and promotion using each of the themes, as i find it really interesting how obvious and repetitive the industry is.

The first identifiable theme is 'sensuality and indulgence'. This usually encompasses a sense of passion, seduction or danger/forbidden. As with most of the themes there is a big focus on sex and romance because as we know sex sells. this is especially relevant  when advertising a product that is quite intimate and close to the skin, only smelt up close by others, and has a history of being used to attract.

This recent paco rabanne fragrance campaign is a classic example of the sensuality and indulgence theme. The obvious features such as the naked model, and the look directly to the camera obviously implying sex and seduction, and the snake around the bottle cashing in on the popular fragrance theme of 'forbidden', referring to the biblical story of the forbidden fruit.  The boudoir effect from the chair and the backdrop, with velvet and silk looking fabrics represent indulgence, along with the rich regal colours.

The second theme is 'trust and honesty'. This theme uses a lot more simplistic and pure advertising. The campaigns often have an almost spiritual/deep quality to them, and are full of fresh faced models in relaxed natural poses. The colour pallets are usually a lot brighter, and reference some kind of nature, implying a natural and pure product.

The recent Marc Jacobs daisy campaign embraces the theme fully. With a very natural, casual and authentic overall visual, it is an obvious use of  'trust and honesty'. One of the things i noticed with this theme, both in the past and recently, was that all the fragrances seemed to be very much aimed at younger people. The idea of innocence and youth is really obviously pushed, which clearly works as daisy was my first proper fragrance.

The third theme is 'tradition and heritage', perhaps the most timeless of the themes. This theme plays largely on romance in the traditional fairytale scene, as opposed to the more sexual and seductive side. It often contains many nostalgic/ vintage style imagery or poses, which gives it its timeless edge.

 

This recent Avon release is a great example of the theme. The couple driving together on a motorbike, overlooking a view that could be from any place in time, is a classic scene. It almost looks like a still from a classic romance film, and allows the consumer to create their own story from it. The black and white is an obvious nod to vintage/nostalgia, and overall it is a very classic and timeless image.

I found it really interesting how easy it was to find both current and past fragrances that seemed to fit perfectly into each theme. The idea of the themes will definitely help we group lots of different fragrances, and give me  important insights for my fragrance project.