tattler magazine

While running on the treadmill the other day, something gorgeous caught my eye. No, not by someone in the gym, but the images flashing across the television screen. Ethereal, dreamy, romantic with that perfect glow of sunlight, big bunches of flowers… and oh, Sarah Jessica Parker embraced by an unidentified man. The sequence of images probably lasted a good 15 seconds, and it made me feel all light and happy. Just as it should, since it was selling the idea that the new perfume collection (Dawn, Endless and Twilight) would make my life as beautiful as what I saw (frolicking among fields of flowers and hugging an awesome hunk).

Later on in the day, while I was watching the telly, I noticed another perfume ad, this time Elizabeth Arden’s new fragrance ‘Pretty.’ But unlike the effect that the earlier ad had on me, I totally detested this ad. It seemed totally superficial with the music playing over with the words “pretty, is what I feel.” Sure, everyone wants to feel pretty, but doesn’t that seem a tad too superficial?! (An outburst to a TV ad seems a tad out of proportion, I know… but the previous ad was just too lovely in comparison.)

That got me thinking, do these ads really affect people’s desire to buy a certain perfume?

Sure, the print ads seen in magazines have the purpose of creating awareness. (I don’t know about you, but I find that those ‘lift the flap’ to smell the scent things all smell the same.) However, TV ads have the potential to do so much more; they evoke emotions and give an idea of how magical the fragrance can be in changing your life (hah!). Ultimately, moving images are always more impactful, not forgetting the accompanying music that helps create the mood. So how come we don’t see more of these fragrance ads on the TV screens back in Singapore?

Anyway, this brings me to the concept of how perfumes are promoted and how as consumers, we are unconsciously affected by several factors when making the decision to purchase a fragrance. Surely when marketing and advertising companies set out to promote a new product, they know their target market and have a list of specific characteristics they want to appeal to. Therefore, would ads that do not resonate with an individual result in not buying the product? When it comes to a product such as perfume, I would think not, since smell should ostensibly be all that matters when buying a perfume. But as with the case of “Pretty” has shown, I would not bother to walk by the counter to see what it smells like.

Maybe I’ll fall in love at first smell, maybe I won’t. In the end, scent is of the utmost importance to me.

Then again, with fashion labels and celebrities getting into the fragrance market, do consumers take that into account before they buy a particular scent? Are we buying into the idea that the advertisers sell? Or are we buying the perfume purely due to the brand’s prestige? Or do we create a balance between those two aspects and consider what notes of the fragrance we like? Yes, maybe we wear a particular fragrance not just to smell nice, but to be able to flaunt the fact that it is something expensive as well.

But back to the topic of the TV ads. Yes, it successfully captured my attention and intrigued me. It made me want to go by a departmental store and experience what the perfumes smell like. Maybe I’ll fall in love at first smell, maybe I won’t. In the end, scent is of the utmost importance to me. But hey, they managed to get me to see whether I’d want to purchase a bottle or not. Just this act of writing this article about Sarah Jessica Parker’s new collection has helped to raise product awareness.

So, I’m interested to find out: what affects your decision when buying a fragrance?

A side note: Personally, I think fragrances reflect a person’s likes and dislikes when it comes to smells, not so much a person’s personality. Which is why I don’t get how perfumes are often promoted as perfect gifts for friends and family. Something might smell nice to your nose, but the same scent may result in me having a choking fit when I get a whiff of it. But that’s just me.