FENTY – SMELL HOW THE F#CK YOU WANT
WHEN SELLING PERFECTION BECAME THE INDUSTRY NORM, RIHANNA WAS READY TO CALL BULLS###.
CASE STUDY
THE REALITY
Rihanna is notorious for unapologetically speaking her mind. So when she was preparing to launch her fragrance, Fenty Eau de Parfum, she recognized that her brand was in a category infamous for telling the world how to look, how to dress, and how to smell; all labels she didn’t want her brand to be a part of.
Instead, she wanted her fragrance to stand for something more empowering. And when she was asked how she thought people were supposed to smell like, she coined the phrase “smell however the f*ck you want.”
THE IDEA
To launch her fragrance, we thought that there was nothing more empowering than letting her words speak for themselves. So we quoted her, and with the help of NYC floral artist, Mr. Flower Fantastic, we constructed billboards made out of more than 100,000 of the same flowers that are used to create the base floral notes of her fragrance. Creating a first-of-its-kind sampling opportunity that everyone in the area could smell. And as one big “f*ck you” to a category that tells us how we should be, we positioned the billboards directly in the heart of the New York, London, and Paris fashion districts.
Because sometimes the face of your brand isn’t as important as what she has to say.
THE TEASER
CREATING THE WALL
RECREATING THE SCENT
THE RESPONSE
THE RESULTS
50K BOTTLES OF FRAGRANCE SOLD IN 3 DAYS
70% INCREASE IN ONLINE TRAFFIC AND SALES
+2MM IMPRESSIONS ON THE GROUND (NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS)
+2B IMPRESSIONS ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND TIK TOK
0 FACES OF CELEBRITY OR MODELING TALENT
THE TEAM
AGENCY: DDB NY
GLOBAL CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER // Ari Weiss
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER // Mat Bishner
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR // Paulo Junger
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR // Christine Kohler
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTORS // Conor Champley, Nicole Albrecht, Morgan Mack, Jacqueline DeBerry
DESIGNER // João Rios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER // Teri Altman
FLOWER ARTIST // Mr. Flower Fantastic