Fragrance Innovation
Euroitalia’s first fragrances for fashion house Dsquared2 set bold new course
By Kevin Rozario.
Fashion house Dsquared2 will unveil its first fragrances, in collaboration with new partner, Italian beauty powerhouse Euroitalia, The Moodie Davitt Report can reveal in a global exclusive.
Called Wood, the scents, in both men’s and women’s formats, are underpinned by athree-yearglobal growth strategy from the Italy-based fragrance company.
Euroitalia– which also makes fragrances for Versace, Moschino, Missoni, Naj-Oleari and Reporter –signed with thefashion house earlier this year and has retained the Wood name. The former He Wood is a franchise, more than a decade old, with which Dsquared2fans are well acquainted. However, according to Euroitalia, that’s where the similarities end in terms of the olfactive signature, packaging, communication and overall direction.
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report – in the company’s first global business-to-business media interview about the launch – Euroitalia Export Director, Claudio Tenan, said: “Wood, the new fragrance for man and woman by Dsquared2, is a dual project that’s totally new compared to previous editions (whose existing lines will be discontinued).
For him, for her: Wood, the scents, are underpinned by a three-year global growth strategy, including an ambitious plan for travel retail.
“We wanted to create, and offer, products that boost the development of the Dsquared2 brand experience – in the fragrance field – on a global level. Dsquared2 has enormous potential, but needed some renovation. We will push our marketing activities at every level to get more visibility and recognisability – and develop a more targeted distribution. We aim to increase the Dsquared2 fragrance business by +10% in the next three years.”
Back to basics
To do that, the company needed to first get the juices right and reflect the fashion house – with wood as the commoncharacteristic. Expert perfumers fromFirmenich(the world largest privately-owned fragrance & flavour company), Alberto Morillas and Marie Salamagne, were hired to achieve this feat for the male and female juices respectively.
Their efforts have produced a men’s scent that is described as “strong and sturdy, with a complex and inimitable structure”. The female olfactive creation was born from the male one and maintains the same structural characteristics, but is said to be “ultra-feminine”.“Both open with the Italian freshness of fruits and close with the brightness of woods,” said Tenan.
The Canadianidenticaltwin brothers and fashion designers behind Dsquared2,Dean andDanCaten,said of the newjuices:“Fragrance is a sensory experience that says everything about you and your personality. We love to think about our new fragrance,Wood, as a special accessory that is personal and definesDsquared2 style and character.”
“People are constantly moving around the globe, so it happens that travel retail is the most important international window. We will pay great attention to it.”
– Claudio Tenan
The packaging has also departed from previous versions that made extensive use of wood. This time it’s more subtle. Tenan said: “It istotally new:alinear bottle, in burnished glass for men and clear glass for women, with a unique magnetic cap made of the highest quality ash created piece by piece,andoffering a level of craftsmanship that has almost disappeared.”
Aflockedouter makes for atactilesurface.It comesin dark brown velvet for him and pink velvet for her,with a large redmaple leaf–the unmistakable symbol of theDsquared2 fashion house– very visible.
Communicating with a young target
Woodis targeting younger consumers including Millennials. “Itspeaks to young generations defining the contemporary Dsquared2 man and woman: sensual, confident in themselves and their personalities,” said Tenan.
He added that in travel retail, customised strategies, promotion of the products off- and online, with “strategic and exclusive points of sales through dedicated corners and set ups”, is the aim.
A delicate play between power and seduction sets the scene for the new Wood ad campaign. Created by photographers Mert & Marcus – and with artistic direction from the Catens – the campaign is a whirl of motion featuring passionate, energetic and dynamic bodies (see videos below).
Those bodies are also the faces for the women’s and men’s fragrances: German supermodel, Anna Ewers, and former bronze medallist at the European Championships and Youth Olympic Games, Julian Schneyder from Austria.
Geographical rollout
Wood will launch into domestic European markets this October, and distribution will gradually expand to the US, Asia, the Middle East and Russia in 2019. Euroitalia says it will hit 10,000 doors at the completion of the international roll-out. Travel retail will follow the same timetable.
Commenting on the channel, Tenan said: “Travel retail keeps gaining in importance. People are constantly moving around the globe, so it happens that travel retail is the most important international window. We will pay great attention to it.”
As a fashion brand, Dsquared2 has strength in Europe – particularly markets such as Italy and the UK – as well as Canada. But, Euroitalia anticipates growth on a more international level. “We expect a booming of the brand through positioning in other key countries,” said Tenan.
Euroitalia is well set up for such a global expansion – 94% of its annual 25 million products are exported, and it has distribution into 140 countries.
The pricing of Wood in travel retail across all lines is as follows: men’s eau de toilette spray 30ml (€39.20), 50ml €52.40) and 100ml (€67.20); bath & shower gel tube 250ml €27.20); after shave balm tube 100ml (€34.40); and deodorant stick 50ml (€22.80).
The women’s edts are the same sizes and prices as the men’s plus a bath & shower gel tube 200ml (€27.20) and body lotion tube 200ml (€33.60). There are also travel sets in two sizes for €52.40 and €67.20.
The Moodie Davitt Report • The Online Magazine • October 2018