Puig Spirits Antonio Banderas Women’s Fragrance To U.S. Market

Spirit Antonio Banderas for Women is expected to generate first year sales of $20 mil. following its U.S. debut, and revenue could triple within two years, Puig Fragrances & Personal Care USA said.

The "masstige" fragrance will roll out to thousands of mass market doors this fall, including CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, and select department store doors including J.C. Penney and Sears, the firm noted.

The scent also will debut in Spain, followed by an introduction in Europe and Latin America.

The performance of the fragrance is expected to be comparable to that of its men's counterpart, Spirit Antonio Banderas , which launched last year as the actor's premier U.S. offering (¹ (Also see "Puig Mass Division’s First Launch To Feature Actor Banderas" - HBW Insight, 28 Jun, 2004.), p. 4). Spirit for men ranked fourth in the U.S. men's mass market fragrance category shortly following its launch, according to IRI data for the eight weeks ending Oct. 31, 2004.

While Spirit for men was popular among male consumers because many men "want to be like" Banderas, the women's fragrance likely will capitalize on the perception "that he knows what makes a woman seductive," according to the firm.

The women's launch will be supported by an aggressive $10 mil. promotional campaign targeting a broader mass market audience as well as Latina consumers, the company said.

The fragrance is positioned to appeal to a core audience of women ages 25 to 35, although the firm believes the scent also will attract women of all ages.

Print ads supporting the launch will break in October in general interest, fashion, beauty and Hispanic books. The ad features a close-up of Banderas and a female model as well as a bottle shot and the tagline "Looks are nothing without spirit."

Ads will be accompanied by scented fragrance strips of both the new fragrance and the men's version.

Puig also has developed 15- and 30-second national network and cable TV spots that will run from November throughout the 2005 holiday season.

The ads will be similar to spots for the men's scent, and will feature a model who brings excitement to a dull party while attracting Banderas with her spirit, Puig said. The company may also create ads that cross-promote the women's scent with the men's offering, according to the firm.

Spirit will be promoted with in-store displays featuring the images seen in the ads, in addition to account-specific merchandising vehicles. Banderas also will play an "active" role in a variety of promotional programs for the scent, the firm added.

Spirit Antonio Banderas for Women is positioned as a provocative, sensual fragrance that "reflects the personality of a modern, young woman who loves life," according to the company.

The "modern oriental" juice opens with notes of citrus, plum, red fruits and orange blossom flower, which warm to a heart of white flowers, freesia, peony and white iris.

Base notes comprise woody oriental, sandalwood and incense. The juice is housed in a tear-shaped pink bottle with a silver cap.

In line with Spirit's positioning as a "masstige" offering, the collection will be marketed at higher price points than most mass scents. The fragrance will come in 1 oz. and 1.7 oz. eau de toilette sprays for $21.50 and $30.

Ancillaries include a body lotion, which will cost $9 for 5 oz., as well as an edt/body lotion gift set for $21 and an edt/lotion/shower gel gift set for $25.

The original Banderas scent was the first to launch under Puig Fragrances & Personal Care USA, the Spanish company's fledgling U.S. mass market division. The company said it tentatively plans to introduce one fragrance or flanker scent in the region under the Banderas portfolio every year.

Puig's worldwide Antonio Banderas Seductive Fragrances business was launched in 1997 and now comprises four fragrances. The division generates more than $50 mil. in annual sales in Europe and Latin America, according to the company.