US. Sex sells. Obsession does too. Put them together, in olfactory terms, and the result is a scent with success stamped all over it. That’s certainly the hope of Coty Prestige and Calvin Klein, who unveiled their latest feminine fragrance, called Secret Obsession, in the US earlier this month.
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Bringing the Obsession brand “full circle”: the new feminine fragrance from Coty and Calvin Klein, Secret Obsession |
As its name, and fragrance heritage implies, the Secret Obsession concept revolves around sex, desire – and controversy. These qualities are brought together perfectly in the steamy advertising campaign fronted by actress Eva Mendes, which has already run into problems with the US network censors.
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Baring a Secret Obsession Sex, desire and controversy – all in a single, steamy scent |
“”When Obsession first launched in 1985 it created a whole new world that was sexy, provocative and uncomfortable,” declared Vice President Global Marketing Calvin Klein Lori Singer at the New York launch event.
“Nothing has changed. We are thrilled to share with you this new sophisticated and intoxicating fragrance”¦which has brought the brand full circle.”
But, Coty insists, this is no mere flanker to the original Obsession, created over 20 years ago. “The brief to me was, we want to reinvent Obsession,” emphasised the nose Anne Gottlieb. “This is not a flanker. We are looking to explore new territory with the brand, with the image, the communication – and not least the juice.”
Keeping a Secret
According to Singer, the Secret Obsession concept started with the consumer. Moreover, earlier this year the company conducted a global survey that asked over 7,300 men and women what their secret obsessions were.
“We spent a lot of time talking to women around the world, and there was something that kept coming up in conversation about the secrets women had; the things they were interested in or obsessed with; the parts of them that weren’t fully revealed,” she relates.
“That’s how the idea starting building, we felt there was something that was really relevant. And the more we kept hearing the words secrecy and obsession, the more we thought [about creating] a Secret Obsession fragrance.”
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The sultry spokesperson for Secret Obsession, Eva Mendes |
Despite being over 20 years old, Singer points out that commercially, the original Obsession has stood the test of time. “But we wanted to re-energise it for today, for the different times we live in,” she explains.
And the personification of that shift is the fragrance face Eva Mendes, who follows in the super waif shoes of the iconic Kate Moss, who represented the original Obsession fragrance. At first glance, the two couldn’t be more different, but Singer easily justifies her selection.
“Kate was the antithesis to the “glamazon” supermodel of the era; she was a big surprise choice at the time. And Calvin Klein is all about breaking rules and pushing boundaries,” she acknowledges.
“Eva too is different in many ways, but for us it was about who best represented this brand and this concept, and Eva was a perfect fit. There is something so seductive and intriguing about her, linked to this layer of mystery.”
Singer continues: “Eva is more womanly, more curvaceous and very sensual. She is also clearly very comfortable with her sensuality and sexuality, and that was really important for us.”
Making the right choice of representative is crucial, given the high hopes Coty has for the fragrance. “We want Secret Obsession to stand the test of time and still be around 20 years from now, the way that the signature Obsession brand is around today,” Singer confirms.
“This is a huge, global launch for us, with a large projection of the business coming outside of North America. We feel this will be a global powerhouse”¦and certainly a top ten brand in many markets.”
She continues: “Calvin Klein per se is the largest brand within the Coty Prestige portfolio, and has grown significantly under the Coty ownership in the past three years. It’s certainly the most global franchise within Coty, and an iconic brand with incredible brand awareness”¦that’s been enjoying a real renaissance since the launch of Euphoria.”
Importantly, Calvin Klein is also a multi-pillar brand, with several fragrance powerhouses apart from Euphoria, such as the Eternity franchise and ck one.
“Calvin Klein also speaks equally to men and women,” Singer claims. “So not only do we have global strength in every region of the world, but we have pretty much equal strength with male and female consumers, which is not something too many brands can say.”
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“Dark, lickable and yummy”: how nose Anne Gottlieb describes th Secret Obsession juice |
Nonetheless, there are no plans at present to create a masculine Secret Obsession, which Singer acknowledges is unusual. “Typically our brands have been masterbrands,” she agrees. “And while we’re not saying there will never be something, right now we feel that the idea is not as relevant to men.”
She continues: “We really believe that we have found something that speaks particularly to women. There would need to be a lot more work on our part, or perhaps something that inspires us within this launch, to think there might be a facet of the Secret Obsession brand that speaks to men. And while it could be there, we haven’t found it yet.”
What Coty Prestige has found, however, is the desire to turn Calvin Klein into a billion dollar brand. How important a role will Secret Obsession play in fulfilling that objective?
“It’s going to help a lot,” replies Singer frankly. “We’re getting closer to that goal, with the past three years being a period of extreme growth for the brand. This is going to be a very strong franchise and we expect to get to a billion within a few years.”
Accordingly, there will be a lot of launch support for the fragrance. “We believe in the juice and getting it out there, so there will be all types of sampling vehicles,” says Singer. “We will also use non-traditional media, including on-line viral campaigns. We will invite people to tell us their secret obsessions, and we have various avenues to explore that. There will also be a web-site presence.”
Interestingly, Singer claims not to be worried about a big cannibalisation effect. “I’m not expecting that,” she maintains. “The signature Obsession brand has a very loyal consumer who loves it; Secret Obsession is targeting a new consumer. That said, I do anticipate a halo effect, and I think that we will see an increase in the [original Obsession fragrances] too, as people rediscover them.”
The magic of Mendes
Eva Mendes, who describes herself as a Cuban-America, born in Miami and raised in Los Angeles, is a gifted actress whose roles include Training Day, Hitch, Ghost Rider and We Own The Night.
On a personal level, she comes across as affable, articulate and clearly at ease with herself and her lot in life.
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Eva Mendes: “It is absolutely important for young people to see diversity” |
On the Secret Obsession launch day, her slim but curvy figure is encased in a cream Calvin Klein dress, accessorised with high patent shoes and a pair of sunglasses pushed up high on her head. Her hair is twisted into a casual bun secured with a pencil.
Her smile is omnipresent and she answers every question put to her, volunteers anecdotes and certainly isn’t afraid to laugh at herself. She is, in short, an all-round excellent ambassador.
“I am very particular about who I associate myself with,” she relates. “I get offered many opportunities; thankfully, many people want me to collaborate with their brand. But if I don’t believe in the product, whether it be Secret Obsession or something else, I just don’t associate myself with it.”
That philosophy is backed up by Mendes’s time as a Revlon face. “Cindy Crawford [another Revlon spokesperson] was one of my role models growing up, so it’s interesting that I went on to represent the same company,” she muses.
“Also, Kate Moss and I are the same age, and I remember the ads she was in; they were so provocative and fantastic, and we all wanted to be like her. I guess it makes sense that I am following in the footsteps of the two women who had a big impact on me when I was growing up.”
And in turn Mendes hopes she will have a positive impact on girls growing up today. “It is absolutely important for young people to see diversity,” she notes. “At the age of 14, when I was at my most awkward stage, I was starving to connect to somebody out there.
“Cindy had dark eyes and an [olive] skin tone, but that was about it. Now I’m so happy that maybe I can be the connection for someone who perhaps feels that she’s not being represented until now.”
She continues bluntly: “My features are slightly off; I don’t have the perfect nose, but perhaps that will help people to feel good about themselves and embrace what makes them different, embrace their imperfections, because I’m full of them. And I don’t want to change them.”
She is equally forthright about the issue of weight. “It’s just ridiculous,” she remarks. “I am not a big girl, and only in this industry would I ever be referred to as such [because I have curves]. But I love the fact that I can make women feel good about being voluptuous. I think that’s a good thing for Calvin Klein too.”
There is certainly plenty of Mendes on show in the Secret Obsession ad campaign, most notably in the TV spot, which has certainly got the censors very hot and bothered. Did Mendes feel any trepidation about how certain conservative US consumers would react?
“We’re the first ones to blow anything up but God forbid we see a nipple,” she counters, with refreshing candour. “I’m obviously very proud to be American, I was raised here, but at times I agree we are very conservative when it comes to our bodies.
“But I didn’t have major concerns about how Americans would perceive it, because part of the beauty of being associated with Calvin Klein is that we’re pushing the envelope, we’re edgy, and if we’re banned from showing the TV ad in the US it means we’re onto something, and that’s cool. It’s exciting,” she admits.
“This is a huge, global launch for us, with a large projection of the business coming outside of North America. We feel this will be a global powerhouse”¦and certainly a top ten brand in many markets.“ |
Vice President Global Marketing Calvin Klein Lori Singer |
“I’ve done certain sexy shoots before that perhaps haven’t gone this far, but I felt comfortable with the photographer and trusted the whole team. I know they’re not going to put anything less than great out there.”
Mendes reiterates: “To me, Calvin Klein is a brand that represents cutting edge, being provocative, being very sexy and also being part of something that’s different, be it thinking a little differently, or expressing yourself differently. I’m a big sucker for art, so any type of art form that can push the envelope, I’m right there.”
So how did acting in a fragrance commercial differ from acting in a film? “For this it was the same,” Mendes replies, “because I had to go in and really lose all inhibitions, trust my director, (Fabien Baron for TV, Steven Meisel for print), and really let go.”
She continues: “If I’d come in with any insecurities, you wouldn’t feel that freedom, that liberation that needs to be part of the photos. There’s an intimacy to those shots that’s really unnerving and I think that’s what [provokes the reaction].”
Obsessing about scent
The nose behind the fragrance, Anne Gottlieb, describes the Secret Obsession juice as dark, lickable and yummy. “It makes you want to be near someone wearing it,” she claims. “This is a special occasion fragrance that you would wear when you want to be noticed.”
Gottlieb believes that more and more women are going back to having a wardrobe of fragrances that they select according to each occasion. “In the past 10 years, companies have developed scents that they think should be worn all the time,” she maintains. “Women are resisting.
“With Secret Obsession we have tried to create something on the dark side, that would be slightly polarising but commercial at the same time. Even at the start we had an image of bare skin and richness.”
Gottlieb believes that with the right ingredients, fragrance can easily be addictive. “By that I mean, once you smell it, you want to keep smelling it, and each time you smell it, you notice something different,” she remarks. “Sometimes it’s the fruits, other times the woods.”
“We are starting with a great name, but blank equity. So much of the international community does not really recall the original Obsession.“ |
Coty Prestige Worldwide Marketing Director Travel Retail Rusty Wright |
Gottlieb also maintains that certain notes, like certain food stuffs, have unmistakeable innate qualities. “If a company wants something that’s playful or sparkling, a perfumer will know right away what sort of notes to use to provoke those feelings,” she explains, adding: “Perfumers have told me I’m very good to work with, because I don’t tell them what notes to use. Instead I tell them what feelings I want the fragrance to provoke, and they take it from there.”
It only gets tricky, says Gottlieb, when she doesn’t know enough about a project to be able to translate it olfactorily. “When I have enough information to go on, I am never afraid I won’t deliver,” she comments. “But if the people who hire me are confused, it’s hard for me to satisfy them because they don’t know what they want.”
However, she acknowledges that her role involves a constant balancing act between creating something new, while keeping things commercial.
“It’s the hardest thing to be able to get something that is loved much more that it’s liked, and certainly loved much more than it’s disliked, but have enough appeal that it makes a lot of money,” she confirms.
“Because the big companies in the business have no interest in teeny US$3m niche brands, they want fragrances that are going to be very successful for as long as possible.”
The travel retail strategy
The travel retail channel will be a priority for Secret Obsession. “This is a global launch for us, with relatively full distribution,” notes Coty Prestige Worldwide Marketing Director Travel Retail Rusty Wright.
“Accordingly, Secret Obsession will be rolled out in travel retail from September/October, depending on the corresponding local market launch schedule. Asia will be a little later, due to shipping.”
Airports and airlines in particular will be the key target channels. “Airlines are generally very enthusiastic about newness, and we enjoy a strong Calvin Klein business inflight,” Wright confirms.
No exclusive travel retail listings are planned, nor any travel retail exclusive items, at least until the one-year launch anniversary. “However, we may carry a few Christmas sets within accounts that have a strong Christmas business, such as World Duty Free,” Wright reveals.
As befits the latest launch from the largest house within the Coty Prestige portfolio, Secret Obsession will be supported by a series of HPPs, across all key regions.
“These are planned for one to two months after launch, but prior to December, depending on the individual retailer,” Wright explains.
Like his domestic colleagues, Wright emphasises that Secret Obsession is no mere flanker. “We are starting with a great name, but blank equity,” he asserts. “So much of the international community does not really recall the original Obsession.
“Yet the name, and the concept behind Obsession, remains powerful and tests positively globally”¦This is a new proposition, with a new brand positioning.”
In other words, Coty is going back to the future. Secret Obsession heralds a return to the core Calvin Klein values that helped the brand become such a fragrance powerhouse in the 1980s and early 1990s – and the disappearance of which coincided with something of a wilderness period as that decade drew to a close and the noughties began.
“The house went back to sexy and Euphoria [launched in 1995] was the turning point,” acknowledges Wright. “That was the fragrance launch that heralded the business getting back on track.”
And Secret Obsession aims to keep it there. “Calvin Klein is our number one house in travel retail, and Euphoria the number one brand, followed by ck one and the Eternity franchise,” Wright confirms.
“In terms of objectives, within four months of sales we are aiming to be top three among new launches. And in year two we would hope that Secret Obsession has moved into the top 20 global women’s lines.”
FRAGRANCE FACTS
Top notes: plum, mace, rose de damas
Middle notes: jasmine, orange flower, tuberose
Base notes: cashmere woods, burnt amber, vanilla, sandalwood
The scent skus: 30ml, 50ml and 100ml edp sprays
The ancillaries: 200ml satin body lotion, 200ml satin shower gel, 150ml deo spray
The face: actress Eva Mendes
The creative director: Fabien Baron
The photographer: Steven Meisel
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