Le Feu D'Issey Light Aims To Fire Up Teens At October U.S. Debut
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Issey Miyake's Le Feu D'Issey Light teen-targeted fragrance and its partner, the original heavier concentration, are expected to generate 30%-40% of the fashion designer's future fragrance sales, the Beaute Prestige International unit said.
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Issey Miyake's Le Feu D'Issey Light teen-targeted fragrance and its partner, the original heavier concentration, are expected to generate 30%-40% of the fashion designer's future fragrance sales, the Beaute Prestige International unit said. The Shiseido affiliate will launch Le Feu D'Issey Light throughout Europe in September, followed by an October U.S. introduction. The fragrance will bow in 200 doors, including Sephora, Macy's and Bloomingdale's, as well as the retailers' catalog. At launch, customers will be offered small felt sack gwps. The lighter version of Le Feu (French for "fire"), with 18% fragrance concentration, continues Miyake's take on the elements; the stable also includes the L'Eau D'Issey water-inspired duo, which bowed in 1992 and 1995. While the company's L'Eau D'Issey duo was aimed at men and women 30 and up, the fire fragrances target a younger crowd (1 (Also see "Boucheron USA sales nearing $100 mil. with limited brand distribution -- exec Pichon-Varin." - HBW Insight, 7 Sep, 1998.)). The original Issey Miyake fragrance, L'Eau D'Issey for women, has become "a classic in specialty stores," according to the company. The scent consistently has been in the top five to 10 fragrances in every U.S. retailer in which it is available, encompassing approximately 600 doors, BPI noted. The first Le Feu fragrance, meanwhile, has ranked number one in Sephora every month since its 1998 launch, the company reported, adding Le Feu created "incredible loyalty" among its 30-something target audience. Print ads promoting both scents, in keeping with the duo's teen to 20-year-old target demographic, will appear in Elle and Teen Vogue. The majority of marketing dollars, however, will be dedicated to in-store promotions. The ads are meant to draw an analogy between women, flowers and fragrances, featuring a different flower for both fire-inspired scents. The spots also were created to capture the different "spirits" of the two Le Feu products, BPI explained. Le Feu D'Issey Light is represented by the flower of a small cornus shrub, while the spot for the original Le Feu fragrance features a red arum lily. The ad for the lighter Le Feu version is meant to represent the cooler edges of a flickering flame, while the second is reminiscent of the intense red heart of a fire. The campaign was shot by Daniel Jouanneau. The two fragrances feature identical Gaiac wood and milky amber base accords. When individuals are unfamiliar with a certain scent, they tend to develop a curiosity, and sometimes, an "olfactory addiction" to the substance, BPI said. Gaiac wood is one such note, according to the company. The top and middle notes of the two fragrances, however, differ from each other. Le Feu D'Issey Light opens with notes of rose and bergamot, warming to a heart of gardenia. The original, by comparison, has Bulgarian rose and coriander leaf head notes and a heart of Japanese lily. Light was supplied by Firmenich perfumer Jacques Cavallier. Like its predecessor, Le Feu D'Issey Light's packaging is inspired by Miyake's architectural background. The new addition is made from the same synthetic PCTA Waterclear as the original fire scent, but is clear with iridescent red tones versus Le Feu D'Issey's bright red sphere. A vivid red center is covered by a frosted sphere, suggesting a blazing fire under a sheet of ice, BPI said. Both Le Feu D'Issey bottles have retractable nozzles that pop up when the container is held. An attachment on the bottom of the nozzle allows the bottle to stand upright and lock for travel. A 50 mL spray will be introduced for $54, while a refillable 30 mL handbag spray will cost $39. While the smaller size also is housed in a spherical case, it is designed out of an unbreakable red elastomer with a translucent white spherical bottle inside. The nozzle slides up and down through a slit in the case. Le Feu D'Issey Light line extensions likely will bow in the spring. In addition to the Issey Miyake stable, Beaute Prestige International also handles Jean-Paul Gaultier's designer fragrances, which include his namesake scent, which bowed in 1992, and Le Male (1996). |