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25.06.04, 14:40
wwd.com
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WWD Friday June 25, 2004
Dior to Offer Pure Poison
By Jennifer Weil
PARIS — The myth of Poison continues.
Nearly 20 years after launching the provocative blockbuster scent of that
name, Parfums Christian Dior will introduce Pure Poison, starting this
summer.
“When you have a legendary fragrance in your portfolio, you have a duty to
keep it alive,” said Thomas Du Pre de Saint Maur, international marketing
director for the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand’s fragrance
products. “Poison is rooted in the universe of legend. Everyone remembers it
because it gave an outstanding message of seduction.”
It’s a seduction, he said, that while deeply rooted in the brand’s DNA, also
changes with the times. Pure Poison represents “a new chapter in the legend
of seduction by Dior,” explained Du Pre de Saint Maur.
The original Poison, from 1985, was “dark” and about “selfish seduction” —
embodying the greedy spirit of the Eighties, he said.
“Today, seduction is still a major preoccupation of women, but it has become
more generous,” explained Du Pre de Saint Maur, citing as an example the
character of elf princess Arwen in “The Lord of the Rings.”
“She was very pure-hearted,” he said.
So, too, was Beauty in the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast,” a primary
reference for the creation of the Poison scent, which was then followed by
Tendre Poison in 1994 and Hypnotic Poison in 1998.
Myths, Dior executives believe, help form women’s realities.
“Is there any young girl that didn’t dream of being Snow White?” asked Du Pre
de Saint Maur.
Since many fairy tales have a phial and a mirror, Dior created a fragrance
bottle with reflective qualities. The flacon recalls Poison’s apple shape but
comes with an opalescent sheen that contains shifting colors, thanks to a top-
secret “plasma treatment.”
For the scent’s juice, Dior went beyond the looking glass, as well.
International Flavors & Fragrances’ Carlos Benaim, who worked with Dominique
Ropion and Olivier Polge on the project, said: “Dior always tries to go to
the other side of the mirror, so we looked at the well-known facets of
ingredients and then used their [lesser-used] aspects to do things in a new
way.”
For instance, instead of opting to use jasmine’s nighttime, animal-like
aroma, Dior chose to include the flower’s fresh and green morning scent.
Pure Poison opens with top notes of jasmine, sweet orange, bergamot from
Calabria and Sicilian mandarin; middle notes include orange blossom and
gardenia, and base notes include sandalwood and white amber.
The advertising campaign, shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino under the art
direction of Dior’s John Galliano, will break in single and double pages. It
features model Leticia Birkheuer sporting a black beaded Dior necklace and
balancing the Pure Poison bottle on her fist.
There will also be 20- and 30-second videos destined for TV and movie
theaters.
In the U.S., Pure Poison’s launch will be supported with a promotional
campaign, including ads in 14 magazines, such as Glamour, Lucky and Oprah,
plus more than 14 million scented impressions. Industry sources estimate
promotion alone — including sampling, inserts and rotaters — will take in
about $3 million for the first year in the U.S. An additional $2.5 million
reportedly will be spent on print and TV advertising for the fourth quarter.
“Pure Poison brings magic and mystery back to the world of fragrance,” said
Pamela Baxter, president and chief executive officer of LVMH’s Perfumes and
Cosmetics Group in the U.S. “From the iridescent white bottle to the
seductive white floral and amber fragrance to the sexy advertising directed
by [John] Galliano, Pure Poison is pure Dior.”
While company executives would not discuss projections, industry sources
estimate Pure Poison will generate $60 million in global wholesale sales its
first year. Those sources expect retail sales in the U.S. will reach $10
million through yearend.
Also in the U.S., Pure Poison will launch at Nordstrom on Aug. 1 before
rolling out to Federated, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Sephora in mid-
September. Global introduction is slated for Sept. 1.
The Pure Poison lineup will include 3.4- and 1.7-oz. eau de parfum sprays,
which will retail for $75 and $55, respectively. There will also be a 6.8-oz.
body moisturizer for $31, a 6.8-oz. shower gel for $25 and a limited-edition
1-oz. eau de parfum spray for $41.
