Tom Ford's Non-Nude Fragrance
Tom Ford for Men Launches with a Buttoned-Up Feel
Known for his racy skin-drenched marketing, Tom Ford's ad's for his new mens' fragrance champion a more demure vibe.
Tom Ford for Men, a new fragrance launching at the end of September, is being marketed in a manner that seems remarkably buttoned-up given Ford is at the creative helm. "I think we're living for a moment where maybe we saw so much nudity, at least in the press and magazines, that it doesn't seem the freshest solution,” Ford recently told WWD about the ads – shot by artist Marilyn Minter – which feature the designer in jacket and tie and doused in water, next to a portrait of shards of the fragrance bottle. “It almost seems too easy right now as a solution for advertising to get someone's attention. So whenever everything tightens up again, of course, all of a sudden it's going to seem interesting and surprising to see someone nude again."
The scent, however, exudes typical Ford sexiness. Acollaboration between Ford and International Flavors & Fragrances, it features the Indian root cypriol, which the designer likes for "that slightly dirty, sensual, sexy smell. It's not the same as natural musk used to be, but it has a bit of something that some people would think slightly dirty. I think it's warm and sensual."
The notes in Tom Ford for Men:
- Top Notes: Mediterranean Hesperdic, lemon leaf oil, Italian bergamot, mandarin zest, basil grand vest, violet leaves & ginger
- Heart: Tunisian orange flower absolute, black pepper, tobacco leaf absolute & Moroccan grapefruit flower
- Drydown: deep amber accord, cedarwood heart, Virginia patchouli, vetiver mist, oakmoss, leatherwood & cypriol
The fragrance will initially launch exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, and after six weeks, it will become available at 260 locations in the U.S, and a staggering 1,500 internationally. Supported by a global ad budget of between $6 to $7 million, insiders estimate that Tom Ford for Men will rake in a cool $17 million (wholesale) in year one.
Estée Lauder Cosmetics, which is behind the venture, is building on Ford’s Black Orchid (which generally ranks in the top five wherever it’s sold) and Private Blend (comprised of 12 scents). It is only one of 16 fragrances the company will have launched in a year’s time, including the upcoming Black Orchid Voile de Fleurfor women and Tom Ford for Men Extreme. “One reason we launched so many fragrances in the last year is this phenomenon, 'the long tail,' because you can have everything today. You are actually able to build up a solid business catering to niche tastes, as long as you have a broad enough selection to cover all the niche tastes that you end up with something for everyone in that sense." As a marketing visionary, Ford was one of the first designers to grasp the financial and marketing genius behind using a lifestyle approach to fashion and beauty marketing. "I have a very total vision, and I don't want to use the word totalitarian, but everything is linked. If I'm designing a suit, you need these shoes to go with it. I know how to operate at a certain scale, and that scale doesn't scare me because I've done it before. So it's quite natural for me. It's the only way I know how to work, really."
