I remember in my junior year in high school when Elizabeth Taylor came out with White Diamonds. It was kind of odd to see a big name actress extend beyond marketing her movies to marketing a perfume. This time stands out most for me as the first time a celebrity began to mass merchandise their name through not only endorsing a product, but by having a product made specifically to launch sales based on their name being attached and a collaborative effort between the celebrity and fragrance company.
Once Jennifer Lopez's perfume “Glow” really took off four years ago, more and more celebrities have been lured over to creating a perfume line. The latest ventures are with Coty and Gwen Stephani and reportedly, although not confirmed, with Kate Moss. I happen to love Gwen Stephani, but to wear her perfume? I’m not so sure. However, I must be in the minority, as celebrity-endorsed scents represent 23% of the top 100 women's fragrances last year, growing in popularity from 2003 by 10%.
Currently, Kylie Minogue's fragrance is outselling all other celebrity fragrances in the UK, although David Beckham's Intimately Her comes in a close second. So why the surge in celebrity fragrances, and most notably, their surge in popularity? Most likely due to the public’s obsession with the celebrity lifestyle, that somehow by wearing their perfume, one can live vicariously through the scent. Also, the fact that the celebrity is intimately involved in the fragrance creation process. Just as with a song or movie, you want your work to be a hit and not fade into oblivion the minute it debuts, so setting high standards and making sure the scent is just right is a key factor.
What are your thoughts? Do you prefer celebrity perfumes over powerhouse brands?
