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Stephen's avatar

Talking of influencers, I religiously follow Persolaise on YouTube, a man so obviously in love with perfume that his enthusiasm is completely infectious. His top tens are fun, and range the gamut from old classics to new weirdos. Thoroughly enjoyable watching and discerning to boot!!

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Emma. R.'s avatar

I took this as a sign to try the sample of Oriana that’s been lurking in my drawer

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Sofia Madeen's avatar

There is nothing new under the sun..... Look through Old periodicals -- Vanity Fair (from the early part of the last century), Atlantic, Harpers, etc. and see print ads with vintage 'celebrities' or professionals i.e. doctors, (men wearing suits or labcoats) giving 'testimonials' on everything from cigs to mouthwash. 'Influencers' influencing based on their showbiz rizz and/or trustworthy professionalism -- when docs still made house calls. It's come full circle. Everything old is new again. Insert your favorite hoary cliche.

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Greyhound/10's avatar

Brilliant article again! So much fun to read on a Sunday morning, and then also to realize how I do, strangely, like these weird ads! Initially perhaps for the incoming nostalgia at the end of an era, but then, thanks to your article, with a bit more appreciation due to looking under the hood.

Love how you come full circle with the brands deciding that describing the perfume doesn’t work, and now it does.

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Pierre Vouard's avatar

Really love how you've articulated the shift from advertising to influence! And we can align the post-Covid fragrance boom to the rise of creators diving deep into scent. For many, fragrance ads might have felt out of touch for them and they needed creators to guide them down the rabbit hole!

Brands are catching on. Merit and Glossier for exemple are moving away of the "traditional" advertising and I recently landed on this Ffern long form ad which is all about storytelling. Still whimsical but so much more relatable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sjdfPUfF-I

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DR's avatar

thank you for the laugh

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Jane's avatar

I love this! And while I don’t have the funds to actually go buy so much, I always find myself wanting to rush out and smell everything you write about, and I think to myself every time I read you, I hope these companies acknowledge what she’s doing for them and I hope you get lots of fragrant treats in the mail from them!

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