Ocean Bank, for example, went for “a premium fragrance that begins with mouthwatering mandarin, fresh watery ozone, and green cardamom notes, supported by black pepper and musk,” says Dublino. Helm Bank’s l’essence, developed as part of a complete sensory rebranding, includes hints of chocolate, oakmoss, and peppermint.
— Banks are getting on the scent marketing bandwagon. Read more at What Should a Bank Smell Like? at Bloomberg Business Week.
Iris Prima launched last fall, one of two 2013 fragrances from British niche house Penhaligon’s (the other was Vaara). I’m always happy to see a new iris, especially a unisex one. Iris Prima, like Vaara, has a great backstory: it was developed in collaboration with, and inspired by, the English National Ballet, and the tag line is “The spirit of the ballet. Bottled.” This of course made for all sorts of ballet-related promotional activities, including the lovely “ballet flash mob” at Saks in San Francisco and the liberal use of ballet shoes for displays (see here and here).
That said, Penhaligon’s is admittedly not one of my favorite perfume houses. Other than Vaara, which I was lukewarm about, the only other Penhaligon’s scent I’ve ever reviewed was Lily & Spice, which I was, likewise, lukewarm about, and the only Penhaligon’s fragrance that has ever made my buy list was perfumer Olivia Giacobetti’s brilliant spice-fest Elixir…
A collective of concerned La Jolla business owners calling itself Citizens for Odor Nuisance Abatement recently sued the city of San Diego in hopes that authorities will take action and do something about the source of the offending odor: a cluster of rocks in La Jolla Cove that are used by sea lions, cormorants, and other forms of marine life as a communal latrine.
— I can personally verify that it stinks! Read more at Sea Lion Poop Gets San Diego Sued.
Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser talks about Eau de Cologne Impériale, housed in the bee bottle that celebrated its 160th anniversary last year (see the brand’s official video here).
If you’re in Paris, Guerlain is currently showing nine works by artists from the Institut National des Métiers d’Art, each inspired by the bee bottle. The exhibit, at Guerlain’s recently renovated flagship store at 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, runs through 17 February. Below the jump, see Sylvie Deschamps’ gorgeous contribution done in gold thread embroidery.
English singer and television personality Alesha Dixon (she is currently a judge on Britain’s Got Talent) will launch her debut perfume, Alesha Rose Quartz, in March…