1. The document discusses celebrity fragrances as a profitable product of consumer culture, using Paris Hilton and David Beckham's fragrance lines as case studies. 2. It analyzes how Parlux has tailored Paris Hilton's fragrance line, like her new "Paris Hilton Passport", to target the tween demographic. 3. It also looks at how David Beckham has rebranded his fragrance line to reconnect with his more masculine image and expand his market share beyond his previously over-sexualized persona.

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Sarah de Castro
Celebrity Fragrance: a profitable product of consumer culture.
A case study of the tailored offer
Abstract:
Fragrance is the ultimate product to be marketed by a celebrity. The many facets of a
celebrity’s image can be drawn upon to target the most complementary marketing
strategy for the fragrance. This case study explores celebrity licensed fragrance lines, as
they are marketed around the perceived ‘sides’ of the celebrity. Looking at two market
leaders whose fragrance offer is readily modified to fit marketing trends and audience
expectations and desires. Paris Hiltons licence under Parlux, has identified her current
market in the tween demographic; while David Beckham has gone back to his rougher
masculine roots to re-establish himself as a male prototype, expanding his market share
to a more general masculinity; away from his over sexualised image of the past.
Introduction
Fragrance is the ultimate product to market under a celebrity licence or spokesperson, it in one of the
most brandable products imaginable. It speaks to one of our most basic animalistic senses, smell, yet it is a
non-essential, luxury product. It is a sensual commodity, open to the interpretation of the consumer, an
interpretation that will be influenced by the packaging and marketing.
Using the face of a celebrity to market a fragrance works in a two fold manner: by personifying the fragrance
and associated company; and by associating the celebrity with the fragrance, so publicity outside of the
fragrance promotion campaign will result in publicity for the fragrance. Although this could be said of many
celebrity endorsed good; these links are especially reinforced with fragrance because the juice is, abstract,
subjective, and provokes feelings that relate to intimacy, luxury and fantasy. Therefore the consumer engages
with the product on an emotional level; through the celebrity. Fragrance is also a product that is gestural and
part of a personal care routine. The non-essential, essential product.
Vivienne Westward, British fashion designer who has released 7 fragrances under licence with multinational
beauty and fragrance company Coty Inc. says: "Perfume is part of dressing and undressing, one's intimate
relationship with one's own beauty." As cited in Molaro’s article, What's in a Name? : A step-by-step guide to
creating a designer or celebrity fragrance. (2000). This quote highlights the idea that celebrity (in this case
celebrity designer) fragrance gives the consumer a way to experience an intimate glimpse of the celebrity. An
intimacy that other celebrity endorsed products do not share, eating the same pop-tart as your idol is not the
same as smelling like them or smelling the way you are told they want you to smell.
This case study is important to me because I have worked in the beauty and fashion industries for several
years, both here in New Zealand and also in Paris, France. (My blog site is beautyeditions.com) I have a long
running fascination with the marketing of beauty products and fragrances; there is an aspect of the fable “The
Emperor's New Clothes” within the beauty industry, especially in skincare. Yet, this is also apparent in
fragrance. The marketing of beauty and fragrance products is a very experimental zone, because the value of
the products are determined by the perceived value of the brand. This creates a strong emphasis on the

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marketing side of the production- selling process. Combined with the juice, in itself a fascinating combination
of interpretation; subjectivity and artistry, celebrity fragrance, makes for a surprisingly creative meeting point
of art and consumerism.
The fragrance industry combined with celebrity endorsement has a general importance because of the
monetary value of this industry. “The global market for fragrances and perfumes is forecast to reach over
US$33 billion by the year 2015, driven by growing trend towards consumer urbanization, higher spending
propensity and heightened importance of personal appearance and grooming.” (Global Industry Analysis, Inc,
2011) The amount that goes into raw materials and the creation process is a small percentage of the value of
this massive industry. There is a huge consumer investment in what can be understood as fantasy or popular
culture, celebrity fragrances can be estimated as making up about half the current market, which is back at its
2008 value after falling with the economic crisis. The lack of analysis and thought found in this area is an
oversight. If indeed “Culture is the collective meaning we make of ourselves and our surroundings. It is
physical and digital, global, everywhere, high and low, authentic and ideal. It is what consumers live in and
through and is therefore interlinked to all consumer trends.” (Euromonitor International, 2011). Then this
non-essential product that wins so many consumer votes by the act of purchase, is representative of cultural
global trends, global image creation and an example of a successful ‘artistic’ industry. Consumerism and
culture are not at odds, but rather this relationship is established where one least expects it. Celebrity
fragrance is the product of individuals investing in collective fantasy.
In this case study I will be looking at how two of the worlds major fragrance companies, Parlux and Coty Inc
use celebrities to sell fragrance. Each company uses a different scenario, different characters and different
objectives for each of the brands in question. Each of the examples uses different marketing trends to frame
the celebrity appeal in different ways. I will look at Paris Hilton as an example of fragrance licensing, where
the fragrance was born under the celebrity, her latest offer Paris Hilton Passport targets the tween market (8-
12 year olds) framing Paris through strategies proven successful in luxury markets. I will look at David
Beckham’s fragrance line as an example of male fragrance marking, and the interesting backtracks of his
latest fragrance Homme, that restores a more traditional face for Beckham.
The diversity of the examples hopes to illustrate to scope of these partnerships and their appeal. I have
attempted to choose examples that are industry stereotypes, demonstrating the strategies of the companies, as
representative of larger market trends. I hope to demonstrate how the celebrity is marketed to embody a
fantasy specific to the target market of the fragrance in question.
Literature review
There is surprisingly little academic literature written specifically on this topic, I’ve drawn on
articles: The private ownership of people (McLeod, 2006) that traces the legal origins of licensing celebrity
images. McLeod cites a1907 court ruling “on the unauthorised use of Thomas Edison’s image on a medicine
label” as framing our current understanding of image as “property” (McLeod, 2006) I’ve also drawn on
Moomin Rahman’s chapter on David Beckham, which discusses how much marketing of David Beckham
uses codes associated with homosexuality, despite Beckham’s evident heterosexuality. (Is straight the new
queer? David Beckham and the dialectics of celebrity, 2006). The entire book The celebrity culture reader
has shaped my understanding of celebrity, and celebrity as business “There is a huge market for the
merchandising of celebrity images, and celebrity appearances in advertisements enhance the marketability of
the products with which they are associated.”(McLeod, 2006). I have drawn many of my suppositions from
statistics and trend observation reports from Private international consumer survey company Euromonitor,
and private market analysis producer Global Industry Analysis, which helped estimate the value of the
industry as well as the substantial market share of celebrity fragrance. The major consensus throughout the
literature is that “ regardless of the contractual structure of the relationship between company and celebrity,
the objective is that the celebrity creates an emotional tie from the consumer to the product.” (Lear, 2009)
Furthermore the ideal that the qualities of the celebrity will be transferred on to the product, is essential to the
understanding of celebrity fragrance. Articles in trade press such as Women’s wear daily and
beautypackaging.com have also been insightful, providing accurate accounts of current market events, and
analysis albeit superficial.

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Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton Passport: An offer for the tween market; yet without the elaborate packaging of Gwen
Stephani’s Harajuku lovers this line has little cross over appeal. Will Paris’ fan base be loyal enough to buy
this version of Japanese style fetizied ‘cuteness’? The trends: ‘series of three’ and ‘travel destinations’
successful for luxury brands, have been used in this mass line.
History
Paris Hilton, heiresses and socialite rose to fame with the ‘unauthorised ‘ Internet release in 2003 of the
pornographic video, of her and her then partner, Rick Salomon later dubbed ‘1 night in Paris.’ In 2004, Paris
Hilton along with Nicole Riche, daughter of singer Lionel, stared in staged reality TV series ‘the simple life’;
which highlighted the divide between their world of wealth and the world of Middle America.
American fragrance company Parlux Fragrances Inc. holds the Paris Hilton fragrance license. The company
specialises in what are known as mass fragrances (i.e. sold in supermarkets and hypermarkets) the price
positioning is $20.00 to $65.00 US, although Parlux describes them as ‘prestige’ (Parlux, 2005). All
fragrance lines are sold as American designer or celebrity fragrance licences, for example, singer Rihanna and
designer Nicole Miller. Parlux have a portfolio of 7 fragrance licences.
The Paris Hilton fragrance offer has continually changed to exemplify trends in fragrance marketing and hone
in on her fan following. The line of fragrances has progressively become more and more tailored to target the
tween market. The fragrances elude as much to wealth and status as sexuality, with the fragrance Heiress
having male counterpart flanker Heir, this demonstrates a hefty investment and expectation from the release.
Recent release Tease is the most sexualised of her fragrances. Although her portfolio is dominated by
fragrances for the much sought after 13- 18 consumer, with, Just Me; Fairy Dust; Siren; Can Can. (Parlux
Fragrances Inc.)
Paris Hilton’s first fragrance, Paris Hilton, was released in 2005, in limited units and distribution, (Parlux,

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2005) demonstrating limited expectations and caution from Parlux. These expectations were more than
exceeded by Parlux, rumoured to be struggling pre –Paris Hilton. In his 2005 annual letter to shareholders
chairman and chef executive officer Ilia Lekach boasts net income increased 73% to an excess of $10 million
US, over the 2005 calendar year, this was the year Paris Hilton fragrances hit stores after signing the licence a
year earlier. (Parlux, 2005)
Cultural considerations
The success of Paris Hilton fragrances may rest on cultural interpretation of her appearance. The
importance of her Barbie doll looks cannot be underestimated. “Latin America and Eastern Europe alone
account for almost a third of global sales [for all global fragrances] and almost doubled in value between
2002 and 2007 to an estimated US$9.3 billion.”(Dodson, 2008) The image of this American idol is culturally
specific; she may be seen as a symbol of American beauty and success in her biggest markets outside the
West, such as India and China. While her locally perceived persona, known for her recorded romps, is
restricted to those cultures that include such things in their paradigm of celebrity.
Latest release
The latest launch under the Paris Hilton Licence, Paris Hilton Passport, may look on the surface like a
daring move from Parlux, yet it draws on several trends proven sucessful in the luxuary market. That of a
series of three, a statergy which creates choice within a line and also a heightened element of collectibility.
Both L’Oréal owned designer license Giorgio Armani and privately owned french beauty company Sisley
demonstated the potential of this:
Series of three: a way to sell more fragrance will less investment in launches, but how does this translate into
celebrity connection…. Multiple facits of their personality; multiple destinations in which to imagine the
jetsetting idol
Paris Hilton Passport, this collection unashamedly focuses on the pre-teen audiences with cartoon charters
adorning the bottle. The series is framed as travel destinations: Tokyo, Paris and South Beach. This is also a
recent strategy that has proved itself in the luxury market. (See image below) Yet it has the potential to be
successfully applied to celebrity fragrance as the consumer can imagine the star in each location; emphasising
a jetsetter lifestyle.

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The Cruise collection be Christian Dior fragrances, an unexpected success, playing on the fantasies
surrounding travel.
The branding uses a cartoon of her image, and does not include photographic images of Paris Hilton in the
advertising campaign. This may indicate her photographic image, for example that used for the Fairy dust
campaign was incompatible with this market, perhaps she seemed too womanly.
Fairy Dust by Paris Hilton, 2008, Woman dresses as girl may appeal to adults but when marketing to the
tween the promise of the female form does little to inspire desire.
Paris Hilton Passport may sell to its destined market but the strength of this type of product can come from
crossover value where grown women connecting with their cutesy playful side, are also potential consumers.
This is steamlessly achieved through Japansese pop culture. A site where this ‘little girl’ cuteness is fetisised.
This is examplfied in the success of Harajuku Lovers line from Gwen Stefani.

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Harajuku Lovers line from Gwen Stefani, The bottles, in 30- and 10ml sizes, are designed as collectibles, and
uniquely decorated to represent Gwen Stefani and her four backup dancers.
The worlds largest fragrance company Coty developed and marketed this product under their prestige
division, therefore bracketing it as a luxury item (Matusow, 2009) for the 13- 18-year-old market. The
elaborate packaging made the line toy-like and collectible. “Of course the juice is important too…but you
can almost sell a fragrance by its packaging.” Says Bernard Quennessen, Coty’s VP PCD, Prestige
fragrances, (Matusow, 2009) The success was more than Coty imagined. “We tripled our forecast [for the
fragrance line]” says Carlos Timiraos, Coty’s group VP global marketing (Matusow, 2009)
Hilton’s fragrance does not follow the keys to success demonstrated by Harajuku Lovers, the packaging is not
elaborate and in fact looks rather cheap. Although in the current market of continued economic downturn the
15$US price difference between Harajuku Lovers line from Gwen Stefani, with an average price of 35$US
compared with the cheaper 20$US for Hilton’s Passport line may be the key to success for Parlux.
Paris Hilton is an A-list celebrity, and her malleable image from pornographic star to little girl lends her
image to fragrance marketing, which spans many releases under her brand. Her international appeal is also
fluid; she represents different things to different groups, a strength in global fragrance marketing.
David Beckham
Coty Inc. put itself on the map with celebrity fragrance. Notably with Jennifer Lopez, whose debut
release in 2002, is a landmark in fragrance marketing. Reports say that Coty has made more than 1billon US$
from JLo fragrances. (Matusow, 2009) Coty is the international expert, founder and innovator of celebrity
fragrance marketing, with annual net sales of nearly $4 billion and a presence in 90 markets worldwide. (Coty
Inc., 2010) It is with this expertise that David Beckham fragrance has been marketed.
Men’s fragrance boom
“Men's celebrity fragrances have become the latest area for innovation and Sean John Unforgiveable
became the first to break into the global top 10 premium men's scents in 2006” (Dodson, 2008). It is agreed
that men’s fragrance is the place to be, and with a lag behind the already developed women sector, it is only
in the last few years that we are seeing trial and error tests in this segment, as with Beckham. “The men's
segment has seen a surge in demand in the past two years, the result of changing male grooming patterns.”

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(Dodson, 2008) This article cites studies that show men are spending longer in the bathroom and more money
on toiletries.
Over-sexualized Beckham
The way Beckham’s image has become over sexualised is directly related to Coty’s marketing
strategy, which sold Beckham’s juice, as a way to become close to him as a prototype of a sexualised male. It
was his role as a father, football player and the close and constant partnership with wife Victoria that allowed
him to walk a line between gay and straight.
“Beckham’s masculinity can be read as a ‘sign’, divorced from traditional referents and marked into a queer
sign, specifically to promote consumption through the heady mix of respected status and apparently exciting
transgression as a key aspect of this status.” (Rahman, 2006, p. 226)
Indeed, Beckham is a sort of celebrity god-man, and his image does not need to be confined by the hetro/
homosexual dichotomy.
“One of the most famous couples in the world, David and Victoria Beckham are the first
and only celebrity couple to enter the world of fragrance. In 2005, Coty partnered with
David and Victoria Beckham to develop a global beauty house. Like his on-and off-field
personality, David Beckham's first fragrance, Instinct, reinvents the codes of elegant
masculinity. Intimately, the second fragrance collaboration with the Beckhams, fuses
Victoria's fashion power with David's sensuality. To date, their award-winning formula
has established David and Victoria Beckham as one of Coty's number one fragrance
brands in broad distribution.” (Coty Inc., 2010)
This image of over-sexualised Beckham is typical of past marketing imaging. Yet to link it with homosexuality
depends on a culturally specific paradigm.

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Cultural considerations
Beckham’s image has culturally specific interpretations, as clearly outlined in Rahman’s text where
he assets his reading of his image brings to mind codes normally associated with homosexuality, this is a
Western interpretation. Yet, one must contextualize Beckham’s image as used for commercial purposed
within the markets much of his merchandise is destined, India, China and south America are the worlds
booming and growing fragrance and cosmetics markets. (Euromonitor International, 2011) Would a middle
class Indian read the above image as invoking homosexuality? This advertisement is jut as likely, or more so
to be aimed at a (non-Muslim – due to the nudity) easterner as a Westerner. A non-Western male may be
likely to read this image as one of virile heterosexuality, under a paradigm of commercial culture that does
not include homosexuality. “Many upwardly mobile emerging market consumers are expressing their new,
middle class status through consumption, eager to buy things that their parents could only dream
of.”(Euromonitor International, 2011)
David Beckham Homme
David Beckham’s latest release Homme, is remarkable in its normality. With this one launch the
David Beckham brand re-writes itself as traditionally heterosexual. This new scent and a similarly branded
up-and-coming underwear line are being produced under the management of Simon Fuller — best known as
the mastermind behind the “Pop Idol” and “American Idol” franchises, as well as the Spice Girls. The license
for the fragrance is still held by Coty.
“David Beckham Homme is a strategic launch for us and represents a key new orientation
for the David Beckham fragrance brand — getting back to the male roots of the brand,
enhancing David as an athlete and an aspirational man and building a new pillar to the
David Beckham franchise,” said Steve Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing
for Coty Beauty as cited in Naughton (2011)
Homme by David Beckham, re-positions the Beckham brand as traditionally male, following the sexualised
ambiguity of the past.

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This image has the potential to capture a wider male audience and the ‘natural’ head shot, stubble, wrinkles
and all, locks into two major emerging consumer trends, that of image (like a profile picture on facebook) and
the emerging extension of this trend: real image, steering away from the airbrushed past. The grainy quality
of the photo which highlights imperfections is a contrast to oil slicked past images.
‘More Real’ is named one of the top 10 immerging consumer trends in 2011(Euromonitor International,
2011) “Image has become more important and social networks rely heavily on sharing photographs, further
reinforcing the importance of how you look; and yet a strong counter trend – against airbrushing, mocks the
notion of photoshopped perfection.” This images fits into both these criteria. It is intimate despite the fully
clothed look, and taps underscores an idea of genuine.
Conclusion
Fragrance is the ultimate site for celebrity endorsement, because of the abstract, intimate quality of
the product. The two previous examples demonstrate the precise tailoring of the celebrity fragrance, not only
in terms of the brand, but demonstrated by the way in which the celebrity is presented to its audience. The
celebrity must embody the product, by becoming the link between the product and consumer. Yet a new angle
of a celebrity and potential new market can be captured with a new product added to the celebrity’s existing
fragrance line.
“Common sense tells us the celebrity must exude beauty in some significant way...so
much that his or her fragrance is compelling enough to buy and use for a long time.”
On how to make it work in fragrance “This is of course done by understanding
completely the business parameters of the market, and aiming to make the fragrance a
significant commercial success. This is also done, however, with respect for the great
art of perfumery, and a fearless insight into the psyche of the celebrity, and how to
express that in a bottle, a scent, a color, an image. I call it ‘marrying art and
commerce,’ ” Bernard Beetz president of Coty. As quoted in (Matusow, 2009)
With American teen pop star Justin Bieber’s recently launched fragrance ‘Someone’ slated to be the best
selling fragrance of 2011 (Prior, 2011), it is clear that celebrity fragrance is a growing market trend, boosted
by the creation of a new consumer demographic in the under 18 group. “Someday, netted more than $3
million in retail sales at Macy’s in less than three weeks.” (Prior, 2011)
“Let’s be real, the way a girl smells is very important to a guy! I have such
a deep connection with my fans, so creating a fragrance that I personally
love is another way I can bring them closer to my world.” (Prior, 2011)
This quote from Bieber demonstrates the seamless flow of between sensuality, celebrity, and marketing.
Perhaps first iterated when Marilyn Monroe stated she wore nothing but Chanel No.5 to bed.
This small luxury product is at its most sellable when personified by a celebrity. Both, developing country
markets and previously untargeted age demographics will see this strategic paring continue to be employed.
-end-
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