Puig bottles the bouquet of victory with Paco Rabanne Invictus

Last month in Paris Puig unveiled Invictus, the new masculine fragrance from the house of Paco Rabanne. The Moodie Report was the exclusive travel retail media at the launch event.

The scent has been earmarked as a new pillar product for the group, which re-energised the men’s market with the 2008 introduction of Paco Rabanne 1 Million, still the world leader in masculine fragrances. Invictus will be pre-launched exclusively with Aelia for a two-week period beginning 1 July, before being rolled out to the global travel retail channel.

Paco Rabanne Invictus will be pre-launched with Aelia from 1 July

“Never before as a company have we put so much support behind a launch,” Puig Global Travel Retail Marketing Director Lyndea Dew told The Moodie Report, at the official reveal. “France is Paco Rabanne’s home market, hence the partnership with Aelia. But there will also be other special events with other retailers, for example, World Duty Free Group. We are fine-tuning the details of a unique global launch plan. The feedback so far is excellent.”

She continued: “We have also planned a strong media investment in the domestic market, including a very innovative social media programme, which of course will have a halo effect in travel retail.”

Dew acknowledged the high expectations of the industry for Paco Rabanne, given the ongoing success of 1 Million – but dismissed concerns about cannibalisation. “We will protect the 1 Million business,” she reassured. “We are very good at differentiating our story telling.”

“Invictus is a very different fragrance, and a very different universe, from 1 Million,” echoed Paco Rabanne Fragrances International Marketing Director Jean Holtzmann. “That offers great potential, because not everyone sees themselves in that 1 Million place. Invictus still offers status, a dream, escape – but in a different way. This time it’s less materialistic, and more about the self.”

The Invictus concept
“Everything started with a dream,” declared Holtzmann, at the Invictus launch presentation. “The first dream was to be a rock star, as embodied by Black XS. The second dream was to be rich and famous – which gave us 1 Million. Today, the dream of every man is victory. To be the champion. The ultimate fantasy is to be the winner; the man that is envied; the man that everyone else wants to be; the man who is desired by every woman.”

This dream, Holtzmann explained, is a timeless one, that transcends history. He described the Invictus concept as a bridge between the present and a bygone age, which incorporates gods and mortals alike, as showcased in the advertising campaign.

The name Invictus was chosen for its powerful masculinity and Latin identity. It aims to evoke an image of an unconquered, invincible hero, whom nothing and no-one can resist. Accordingly, the ad campaign references how today’s sportsmen are worshipped as gods of the stadium – although Invictus is by no means a traditional sport fragrance.

In line with this concept, the face of the fragrance is Australian Nick Youngquest, a professional athlete chosen not only for his obvious physical attributes, but for his authenticity. “We did not want an actor or a model,” Holtzmann explained, “because our main concern was to transmit this genuine emotion of victory. Nick knows what’s it like to be a champion for real, and that was very important for us. We tried using models, but it just didn’t work, because you could tell that they were models. We needed a genuine sportsman.”

Nose Véronique Nyberg and Paco Rabanne Fragrances International Marketing Director Jean Holtzmann at the Paris launch event

The victory motif is maintained throughout the Invictus packaging. The flacon, designed by Cédric Ragot, takes the shape of a trophy. The outer carton, dressed in shades of grey and white, is embossed with the fragrance name in silver, flanked by silver, laurel-like “wings of victory”.

The scent of success
The Invictus juice was composed by IFF’s Véronique Nyberg, in collaboration with Anne Flipo, Olivier Polge and Dominique Ropion. “All our fragrances are true signatures,” Holtzmann noted. “Véronique’s challenge was to reinvent freshness in a Paco Rabanne way.”

He continued: “We wanted a new construction, not the traditional olfactory pyramid. The result is a “bi-polar” formulation, with different facets that are complementary at the same time.”

“Invictus smells like the skin of a champion; a frozen caress on burning skin,” Nyberg told The Moodie Report. “I needed to create a sensual freshness, something that had not already been seen. It had to be different and audacious; unique yet commercial. This was not easy. It took two-and-a-half years and over 5,500 versions. I myself felt victorious when we finished the final formula.”

Invictus is described as a textured scent with very pronounced depth and base. A two-layered entity, it contains both fresh woods and spice. “We were really aiming for salty skin – but without any smell of the ocean – that would make you want to lick it and taste it,” Nyberg explained.

Key ingredients include a marine accord, grapefruit zest and bay leaf. A woody amber accord (guaiac wood, ambergris and patchouli) provides a sultry sillage.

“The opposing forces complement one another,” Nyberg affirmed. “From the beginning, this fragrance has been designed to be surprising, and stand out through the duality of its construction.”

Chronicling the conquest
The Invictus ad campaign shows us the demi-god victor Youngquest after he has finished his athletic performance. The commercial was shot by French film director Alexandre Courtès.

It follows the champion through the euphoria of victory, from the moment he enters the stadium until he is back in the locker room, anticipating a steamy post-match rendezvous. It combines contemporary elements with classical mythology, set to a soundtrack by Kanye West.

Paco Rabanne’s trademark tongue-in-cheek sense of humour is showcased at the end with a well-timed, knowing smile to camera.

The print visual was photographed by Nick & Warren. It depicts a topless Youngquest hoisting an oversized fragrance flacon onto his shoulder.

The Invictus Award
There can be only one true Invictus, but an extra magnificent seven will support the fragrance launch, under the auspices of the annual new Invictus Award.

Seven athletes, from seven different countries, representing seven different sports, will compete against each other via an online digital platform in a competition due to begin in July.

The face of Invictus: professional athlete Nick Youngquest

The participants were chosen by a jury of professionals comprising Casting Directors Brice Compagnon and Juliette Ménager; Artistic Director Françoise Jacquey; and swimmer Amaury Levaux, a gold medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The seven athletes (who will be mentored by fragrance face Youngquest) will live together in one house while they compete in various sporting activities. The winner will receive a €50,000 grant to finance a charity project of their choice, and will feature in the 2015 Invictus calendar (released in 2014). Youngquest will star in the inaugural calendar, to be published later this year.

“The gods and goddesses who choose the winner will be”¦you,” revealed Holtzmann. “The public will decide. From July, there will be 60 episodes available to view online, all put together with a touch of humour and sensuality, in true Paco Rabanne style. The public will vote for their favourite, and the winner will be announced in October.

Nick Youngquest, with The Moodie Report’s Rebecca Mann, in Paris

“The competition idea grew from the goal of wanting to provide an experience,” Holtzmann told The Moodie Report. “It also dovetails with the DNA of the brand. Many people know about the Paco Rabanne music label [which ties in with Black XS]. But not many people know that Monsieur Rabanne used to have a boxing school.”

The calendar, Holtzmann said, will be classy and contemporary, in the style of Pirelli’s prestigious annual offering. “There will be a press version,” he confirmed. “And it will also be available as a gwp.”

The Invictus face speaks
At the launch event the face (or more precisely the body) of Invictus was hidden underneath a beautifully tailored shirt, jacket and jeans – but there was no concealing Younquest’s athletic build and easy grace. Puig said it wanted someone in stark contrast to “sterile beauties and one-dimensional celebrities”. The Australian athlete delivers in spades.

Charming, articulate, self-deprecating and droll, he claimed to have no idea why Puig wanted him to front this project. “My first casting was a bit of a disaster,” he confided to The Moodie Report during a one-to-one interview. “I was very nervous. I had to try some of the actions that you see in the ad, but I performed horribly, and walked out thinking I was not going to be asked back.

“But at some point during the casting, the team saw something they liked; a little spark got out – and the rest is history.” Cue devastating grin.

Youngquest had done a bit of modelling during his sports career, but this is his first big campaign. “Paco Rabanne is such an amazing brand, and this is huge; I think that’s why it was so daunting,” he explained. “It’s not like I was going for something small.”

Youngquest revealed that he knew fairly early on what would be required of him – and the physical shape he’d need to be in. “The very first casting was done via my iPhone at home – and they needed to see my body shape in detail – so you can imagine how that went,” he guffawed. “My wife could hardly bear to watch.”

The TV spot took six days to shoot (followed by two months of post-production) and, said Youngquest, taught him much about the amount of work that goes into creating and marketing a fragrance. “There were some interesting days,” he noted. “But everyone was very patient with me. We filmed it in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona – in November. And it was cold! All the staff had big coats on to keep warm whereas I was virtually naked for a week.”

He continued: “But that was an amazing experience in itself, just to be in that stadium, and it helped give us a sense of victory before we even starting shooting.”

In sporting terms, Youngquest is the real deal. Google him and he is described as a professional rugby league footballer, but in archetypal Aussie style, he’s an accomplished all-round athlete.

“Sport has been a massive part of my life, ever since I was kid,” he explained. “I’ve done gymnastics, cycling, skateboarding, surfing – I reckon I’ve tried virtually everything you can do outside. I turned professional when I left school at 18, and it’s a been a good journey for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to play in many different countries. I’ve travelled the world with my sport and now hopefully I can travel the world with this campaign.”

The eye-popping Invictus ad was shot in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona

Youngquest singled out his first professional game as a key sporting highlight of his career to date. “Realising a dream I’d had since I was a child was pretty special,” he acknowledged. “But in general, playing all sorts of sport and becoming a role model for people is great too. If I can help people in any way, because they look up to me as a sportsman, that’s a pretty good feeling and something I try to embrace as much as I can.”

It’s worth nothing that Puig regards Youngquest as a bona fide spokesman, and not just the (oh-so-pretty) face of Invictus. “The brief made it clear that they wanted someone who can interact with people, rather than be this unattainable face,” Youngquest agreed. “I’m involved in the Invictus Award and I’m pretty active on social media (his twitter handle is @Nick_Youngquest). So I hope people do interact with me, in a way that’s positive for the campaign.”

What advice would Youngquest give to any aspiring sportsmen and women? And how best can they avoid some of the well-documented falls from grace that have tarnished the reputations of certain athletes in recent years?

“These days, it goes without saying you have to work hard,” he replied. “Everybody who’s successful in sport has made sacrifices. Regarding the pitfalls”¦it’s an interesting dynamic these days, and the way people are portrayed in the media [contributes]. Probably every week someone succumbs. So I think you have to realise that responsibility comes with success.”

Which must be daunting. Does Youngquest feel under pressure not to mess things up? “A bit more when I was younger, yes,” he replied with disarming honesty. “People look up to you and think you’re something special, but underneath our professions we are just people like everyone else. It was more difficult when I was younger but over time it gets easier as you mature.”

His sporting career has led Youngquest all over the world, but he still singles out Sydney as one of his favourite places. In terms of airports, Dubai International is the stand-out facility.

“And I always shop when I fly,” he laughed. “That is something travel retail has done so well; it’s a great way to waste time. You go to an airport to travel but you walk through and the shops are so great that you’re hooked. I buy things I don’t even need every single time.”

The Paco Rabanne viewpoint
Vincent Thilloy, Vice President – Prestige Designers, is the man who has overseen the renaissance of the Paco Rabanne brand in recent years. He joined the Puig group in 2001, as Marketing Director for Paco Rabanne fragrances, before being promoted to Brand Director. In 2009, he took charge of the fashion side too.

Under Thilloy’s leadership, Paco Rabanne fragrances’ global ranking has climbed from 23 to six in 2012, driven largely by innovations such as Black XS (2005), Black XS for Her (2007), 1 Million (2008) and Lady Million (2010). Thilloy is hoping to accelerate that momentum with the launch of the new men’s scent Invictus.

Vincent Thilloy: “Vision is the most important thing.”

“Of course I hope it will be a big success,” he told The Moodie Report in a private, post-launch interview, “but you never know until it’s out there. The consumer will tell us very soon.”

Thilloy too acknowledged how hard an act 1 Million was to follow. “But Invictus is completely different, both from 1 Million and Black XS,” he explained. “It’s certainly as audacious, because that is the DNA of the brand. But we didn’t want to come with a traditional sport fragrance. Why would we? Everyone has done it already, so there’s no real reason for us to.

“The market is saturated, for all products, in all categories. So what we have to do is not just express the spirit of the brand, but do it unexpectedly, in a way that is different and daring. Today not taking risks is the riskiest thing to do. There are plenty of brands out there for those consumers who want something traditional. There are not so many for the consumer who wants something different.”

1 Million and Black XS were successful in their own right, but generated even more critical mass when paired with a feminine counterpart to make a master brand. Might that also be the case for Invictus?

“We will do it, but only if it makes sense,” Thilloy replied. “We already have a few ideas, but I can promise you won’t see a girl with a trophy! Sometimes the link is more obvious, but I think here we would do it differently. To be honest I don’t have the answer right now.”

“It’s so easy to do a cut and paste, but it’s something we resist,” Global Travel Retail Marketing Director Lyndea Dew added. “For example, with Lady Million, we could have just replicated the gold bar [packaging], but we wanted to complement, not copy. So we are looking for the woman that could be associated with Invictus – but it doesn’t necessarily mean she has to be sporty.”

Vision, according to Thilloy, is key. “I’m always saying that it’s the most important thing, in fashion and in fragrance,” he asserted. “More so even than the strategy. Of course that’s important too, but ultimately that doesn’t change so much from one brand to another. In terms of development, it’s the vision that is key.”

All Eyes on the Prize

Some days, I really love my job. Last month, in Paris, I had one of those days. The event in question was the official reveal of Invictus, the new men’s fragrance from Paco Rabanne, fronted by professional athlete Nick Youngquest (swoon).

More on The Moodie Blog

Having control of both fashion and the fragrance components, as Puig does with Paco Rabanne (and other brands), is a huge advantage, Thilloy acknowledged. “It’s a great help, because I don’t have to report to anybody,” he laughed. “The fashion side is so important, and that’s why we decided to relaunch Paco Rabanne fashion, because it’s the fashion that gives the vision. Our job within the perfume category is to extract and interpret it.”

He continued: “We wouldn’t have had Black XS or 1 Million if Monsieur Rabanne hadn’t designed those famous daring dresses in the 1960s. For me, fashion is especially key for a brand like this.”

That said, Thilloy recognises that the Paco Rabanne fashion and fragrance customers are different. “Fragrance is a luxury mass product – much bigger and with a different price positioning. But we have decided to come back in fashion at the top level, because I don’t think you can do it differently. After all, Paco Rabanne used to do haute couture.”

He continued: “Today it is a creative designer brand, that is positioned alongside the likes of Balenciaga, Céline and Givenchy. Now we have to find the image, style and credibility in terms of the products. And that’s a big challenge because we cannot create metal dresses today. Instead we have to reinterpret our heritage, in a practical, commercial way.”

Legacy, in fashion and in fragrance, can be a double-edged sword, Thilloy believes. “The weight of your heritage can be huge,” he agreed. “But if we had stayed close to Calendre and Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, there would have been no Black XS or 1 Million. You have to reinvent.

“So often people talk about keeping to the codes of their brand, and I totally disagree. If you stick to the codes, you never do anything new and you never let the brand evolve. It’s complicated to explain, but you have to find a way for people to feel the brand, to highlight its spirit instead.”

Paco Rabanne’s edgy, irreverent, daring DNA is present throughout the entire Invictus concept. The addition of the Invictus Award, with its interactive social media element, is a bonus element that brings the project bang up to date.

“For fragrance social media is key,” Thilloy commented. “Especially for young consumers. They are so connected, all of the time. So we hope they will get involved in watching and voting for the Invictus Award, which is a completely new experience for us.”

The idea of the competition evolved from that of the Invictus calendar, Thilloy explained. “We thought about how we could find athletes to feature, and it grew from there. There are 60 YouTube episodes filmed, and the (camaraderie) between all the guys was so great. I visited the loft where they were living, and couldn’t believe how well they all got on. They complete a lot of challenges, and I think it’s a nice story, which hopefully people will support.”

With regard to growth potential, Thilloy sees opportunities everywhere. “Relaunching the fashion will be a long-term process, but it gives a halo effect,” he mused. “In fragrances, we are very strong in Europe, but are also now top 10 in the US with 1 Million, a breakthrough I’m very proud of. Latin America is strong too.”

He concluded: “Obviously there is great opportunity to develop the Paco Rabanne brand in Asia (Pacific), not just in China, but in countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia too. But when you are number six in the world, ultimately that means there are opportunities everywhere.”

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