Perfume Ads: The Unusual Outcomes of Advertising an Olfactory Product
01. FOR A MAN
This one is a classic. Directed by Jean-Paul Goude, it’s for the fragrance Chanel Égoïste, and over the course of just thirty seconds it manages to make you feel like you’ve been punched in the temple and left for dead by the roadside.
02. Natalie Portman killed in helicopter crash
For two thirds of the runtime, this one seems pretty normal. Natalie Portman has enjoyed a long and no doubt fruitful partnership with Dior, so seeing her in a fragrance ad hardly feels out of pocket.
03. Boys will be horse
Starring Adam Driver and directed by Jonathan Glazer (yes, Under the Skin, The Zone of Interest, that Jonathan Glazer), this Burberry Hero ad poses many questions about what it is to be a man, what it is to be a horse, and what it is to be a man-horse.
04. Bottle too big
Okay, I can admit that by the standards we’ve established so far, this one is not that strange. At first glance, you might not see anything amiss. Marc Jacobs is hawking his Daisy fragrance with some loose, vibey shots of young women in a field.
05. Wet leg
There is a fair amount to like about this 1977 Rive Gauche ad, not least the disco banger that underscores the adventures of our independent woman protagonist. ‘The girl who’s so contemporary, she’s having too much fun to marry,’ the chorus sings, and you can believe it.
06. The Gravité Prison Experiment
‘Your presence is craved,’ claims this ad for Gravité Cologne by Particle, and they’re going to prove it with science. They’re going to blindfold a group of models, who can all deliver a line at maybe 7/10 on the convincingness scale, and then they’re going to introduce to the room a man who has doused himself in Gravité.
07. Check out my new nepo, nepo of choice
Finally, no roundup of perfume ads is complete without this stone-cold classic for Kenzo World. Directed by Spike Jonze, the ad stars a pre-megastardom Margaret Qualley as a woman who excuses herself from a dull gala dinner, and once she’s alone in the lobby, throws herself into a spectacular dance sequence.
Conclusion
Perfume ads are uniquely difficult to advertise via a visual medium, leading to some unusual outcomes. From the abstract and bizarre to the surreal and absurd, these ads are a testament to the creativity and innovation of the advertising industry. While some may be more effective than others, they all share a common goal: to sell a product without being able to convey its defining feature.
FAQs
Q: What is the unique challenge of advertising perfume?
A: The unique challenge of advertising perfume is that it is an olfactory product, and as such, it cannot be conveyed through visual or auditory means. This makes it difficult to effectively advertise and sell the product.
Q: What are some examples of unusual perfume ads?
A: Some examples of unusual perfume ads include the Chanel Égoïste ad, which features a parade of French women screaming and shouting, and the Kenzo World ad, which stars Margaret Qualley in a spectacular dance sequence.
Q: Why are perfume ads so challenging to create?
A: Perfume ads are challenging to create because they must find a way to convey the scent and essence of the product without using visual or auditory means. This requires creative and innovative approaches to advertising.
