The Appeal Of Celebrity Perfumes

It is difficult to think of a modern celebrity, particularly a female, that does not have their own perfume. A visit to your nearest perfume retailer will allow you to cloak yourself in the scents of Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey or Paris Hilton, to name just a few. There is little doubt that celebrity endorsement shifts products, hence the widespread use of famous faces in the advertising of virtually any product imaginable, from toothpaste to frozen foods, but why are celebrity perfumes so popular?

Although the concept of celebrities having their own scents is far from new, with actors back in the 1960s having fragrances named after them, the unprecedented explosion in the market is a fairly recent phenomenon. The craze of celebrity scents is largely responsible for revitalising the previous sluggish fragrance industry and extending the appeal of perfume to younger consumers. The celebrity perfume market is the fastest growing component of the fragrance industry and it seems that every singer, actor or even those famous for being famous, has their own perfume or aftershave these days.

The sense of smell is perhaps one of our most underestimated senses, despite being extremely sensitive with the average human being able to distinguish between an extraordinary number of different smells. Certain smells also have the power to immediately take us back to special moments or events we didn't even realise we remembered. Catching the brief and unexpected aroma of freshly cut grass on a sunny day, for example, can immediately transport you back in time to a treasured family picnic or triumphant sporting event. Given the power of fragrances to firmly imprint themselves on the mind, it is perhaps not surprising that celebrities and their marketers have caught on to the idea of defining themselves by a specific scent which will make a strong subliminal impression on the minds of consumers.

The subtle, or not so subtle, blends of fragrances that go into a bottle of a specific celebrity perfume are intended to somehow represent the personality of its namesake. In many cases, of course, the celebrity involved is not likely to be extensively involved in the technical development of the fragrance, although they do ultimately choose the scent to which they will put their name. The appeal for most consumers seems to be that purchasing a celebrity perfume lets them choose to smell like their favourite star and in doing so, make a statement about their own personality.

The origins of the current craze can probably be pinned on Jennifer Lopez, who launched her first perfume, Glow, in 2002. Since then, most major beauty houses, including Estee Lauder, Clarins and L'Oreal, have stepped in to capture a slice of the rapidly growing high-end celebrity perfume market. The appeal for the celebrities and fashion houses themselves is clear, with free promotion and an additional source of profits for the famous face and an existing fan base for the fragrance provider, making marketing considerably less onerous. With some celebrities now having multiple scents to their name, the cynical could be forgiven for suggesting that this fad is simply an unashamed money spinner. However, as long as the public continue to snap up each new offering, this looks like a craze that may be around for a while yet.