• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Components
    • Markets
    • Materials
    • Solutions
    • Top 20 Companies
    • Buyers Guide
    • Events
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Components
  • Markets
  • Materials
  • Solutions
  • Top 20 Companies
  • Buyers Guide
  • Events
  • Current & Past Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Departments
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Staff
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eBook
    Top Features
    Benvenuto a Bologna!

    Stick Formats That Stack Up

    Reaping the Dividends of Customized Stock Packaging

    L’Oréal’s Brice André Looks to a Circular Packaging Future

    New Innovations in Airless Packaging
    Breaking News
    Regulatory
    Events
    Association
    Packaging
    Adv/Marketing
    Financial
    Retail & Travel
    People
    Products
    Experts
    Press Releases
    Exclusives
    Live From Shows
    Video Bites
    Packaging Personalities
    Top News
    Alicia Keys Introduces Keys Soulcare’s First SPF Skincare Offering

    Kylie Gets Backlash for Makeup Lab Photo Shoot

    Redken Celebrates Hair Gloss Day

    e.l.f. Beauty Shares Q1 2023 Results

    Sally Hansen Unveils Limited-Edition Insta-Dri X Sour Patch Kids Collaboration
    3D
    Accessories
    Aerosols
    Airless
    Applicators
    Bags
    Bottles/Jars
    Brushes
    Cans
    Cartons/Boxes
    Closures
    Compacts
    Devices
    Dispensers
    Double Duty
    Droppers
    Environmental
    Labels
    Lipstick packages
    Mascara Containers
    Paper
    Pouches
    Printing
    Pumps
    Rollerballs
    Small Sizes
    Stock Pkg
    Tubes
    Wipes/Sheets

    Stick Formats That Stack Up

    Reaping the Dividends of Customized Stock Packaging

    Arkay

    Cospack America Corporation

    L’Oréal’s Brice André Looks to a Circular Packaging Future
    Bath/Body
    Cosmetics
    Ethnic
    Fragrances
    Hair
    Health and Beauty
    Home Fragrance
    Men
    Nails
    Personal Care
    Sample/Travel Sizes
    Sets/Kits
    Skin

    Alicia Keys Introduces Keys Soulcare’s First SPF Skincare Offering

    8 Food-Inspired Makeup Collections

    e.l.f. Beauty Shares Q1 2023 Results

    Sally Hansen Unveils Limited-Edition Insta-Dri X Sour Patch Kids Collaboration

    Glossier Lays Off Two Dozen Employees as It Pivots to Retail & Wholesale
    Brush Fibers
    Eco-friendly
    Flexibles
    Glass
    Metal
    Paper/Board
    PCR
    PET
    Plastics
    Wood

    Verescence Leads the Future of Eco-Friendly Glass Packaging and Deco

    Neenah Unveils Idea Shop Promotion

    APC Packaging Creates Mono-Material System Dropper & Bottle

    Alder Packaging Launches in Los Angeles

    L’Oréal’s Brice André Looks to a Circular Packaging Future
    Anti-Counterfeit
    Contract Services
    Decorative Effects
    Design Capabilities
    Digital Printing
    Injection Molding
    Machinery
    Made in USA
    Package Development
    Printing/Decorating
    Sustainable Pkg/Practices
    Turnkey

    United & Free Touts ‘No Unnecessary Ingredients, Products or Plastics’

    Chinese Beauty Brand Launches Sustainable Packaging Made with Eastman Material

    Stick Formats That Stack Up

    Revlon Inks Deal with Origin to Develop Next-Gen Sustainable Packaging for Cosmetics

    Irene Forte Skincare Is Like a Mediterranean Diet for Your Skin
    Top 20 Companies
    Mary Kay

    Natura Cosméticos S.A.

    Unilever

    AmorePacific

    Avon
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Jobs
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Neenah

    3C Inc.

    JSN Cosmetic Packaging

    Lombardi Design & Manufacturing

    GAR Labs
    Industry Events
    Live From Shows
    Exhibitor Showcase
    Webinars

    BolognaFiere, Informa Markets and PBA Announce Joint Venture

    Luxe Pack New York Announces 2023 Dates

    Indie Beauty Media Group Announces ‘Adit Live’ Event

    Benvenuto a Bologna!

    Honoring the 2022 Inductees at the NJPEC Hall of Fame Awards
    • Magazines
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Departments
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Staff
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers Guide
      • Companies
      • Categories
      • Corporate Capabilities
      • Add Your Company
    • Components
      • 3D
      • Accessories
      • Aerosols
      • Airless
      • Applicatiors
      • Bags
      • Bottles / Jars
      • Brushes
      • Cans
      • Cartoons / Boxes
      • Closures
      • Compacts
      • Devices
      • Dispensers
      • Double Duty
      • Droppers
      • Environmental
      • Labels
      • Lipstick Packages
      • Mascara Containers
      • Paper
      • Pouches
      • Printing
      • Pumps
      • Rollerballs
      • Small Sizes
      • Stock Pkg
      • Tubes
      • Wipes/Sheets
    • Markets
      • Bath/Body
      • Cosmetics
      • Ethnic
      • Fragrances
      • Hair
      • Health And Beauty
      • Home Fragrance
      • Men
      • Nails
      • Personal Care
      • Simple/Travel Sizes
      • Sets/Kits
      • Skin
    • Materials
      • Brush Fibers
      • Eco-friendly
      • Flexibles
      • Glass
      • Metal
      • Paper/Board
      • PCR
      • PET
      • Plastics
      • Wood
    • Solutions
      • Anti-Counterfeit
      • Cotract Services
      • Decorative Effects
      • Design Capabilities
      • Digital Printing
      • Injection Molding
      • Machinery
      • Made In USA
      • Package Development
      • Printing/Decorating
      • Sustainable Pkg/Practices
      • Turnkey
    • Top 20 Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Expert Opinions
    • Videos
      • eBook
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Products Showcase
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Jobs
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms Of Use
    Expert's Opinion

    From White Diamonds to Buttered Popcorn

    In fragrance naming, as in life, seasons change.

    From White Diamonds to Buttered Popcorn
    From White Diamonds to Buttered Popcorn
    The author, Rachel Bernard
    Related CONTENT
    • Tekni-Plex Reveals First-of-Its-Kind Sniff-Seal Technology
    • Global Pore Strips Market Worth $2.7 Billion by 2026
    • Color Cosmetics: Packaging Self-Expression
    • Target Launches Exclusive Fragrance collection
    • Skin Inc Plans for Expansion with New COO
    Rachel Bernard03.29.18

    I was eating a fruit roll-up and watching 21 Jump Street when I first saw the commercial for Liz Taylor’s White Diamonds. Liz sauntered into a soft-focus poker game, set down a diamond earring to up the ante, turned to the camera and said, “these have always brought me luck.” I had no idea what a White Diamond could possibly smell like, but if it could make me feel like a sophisticated, risk-taking movie star—I was in.

    That was the moment I fell in love with naming.

    So many of my favorite fragrance names at that time—Knowing, Joy, and White Diamonds (of course)—all had something in common. None of them said anything about fragrance. Why so abstract? Why not just describe the pleasant smells you can expect opening the bottle—floral, woodsy, fruity, sweet?

    Because the name is one of the only ways fragrance brands can stand out.

    Unlike other product categories, the horizon for product innovation is radically limited. The benefit is always the same—it smells nice. And there are only so many words to describe smells. So, when brands seek to introduce new fragrances with descriptive names, they often find their competitors already using obvious words like musk, lavender, or rose. To stand out, to make the rose appear to smell a little sweeter, call it by another name.

    Great abstract fragrance names tap into metaphors, painting a unique picture of what the brand feels like. 

    By rooting names in archetypes, brands show their target audiences a lifestyle to aspire to (Mademoiselle by Chanel and Mod Noir by Marc Jacobs, for example). Mademoiselle evokes the fantasy of a French girl gliding down cobblestone streets on her bicycle, no doubt to pick up a morning baguette. Mod Noir sounds irreverent and edgy—precisely what would-be mod girls so badly want to be.

    Other fragrances are all about conveying the feelings associated with rich experiences or atmospheric locales. Maison Margiela’s Lazy Sunday Morning perfume, as well as its Jazz Club cologne, fall into this camp.

    But naming, like life, has its seasons. Abstract brand names have been with us for so long that the door for descriptive names is open again. Jo Malone is perhaps the biggest exponent here: Its latest cologne collection includes Grapefruit; Wood Sage & Sea Salt; Amber & Lavender; and Incense & Cedray. These marks would’ve been right at home on 19th-century shelves.

    The trick with descriptive names is being first-to-market. Before too long, the category becomes crowded and cluttered with me-too sounding names.

    Still, there are some refreshing areas of exploration in the world of descriptive fragrance names. Demeter emphasizes unique scents rather than unique names. Its wacky varieties (about 300 in total) include Buttered Popcorn, Cinnamon Bun, Kitten Fur, Rooibos Red Tea, Holy Smoke and the tennis-inspired Fuzzy Balls.
    It’s also fun to try to see if the fragrance lives up to the name.

    It’s nice to see descriptive names make a comeback. But for me, I love the classics.

    Photo: Screenshots of the 1991 commercial for Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds from the blog, Yesterday's Perfume. 
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Rachel Bernard is VP, director of verbal strategy at New York-based brand agency and design consultancy CBX. She works with clients across all aspects of verbal strategy, including positioning, messaging and voice, naming and trademark, and architecture and nomenclature.

    Prior to joining CBX, she was a Verbal Identity Director at Interbrand. Throughout her career, she has led across a wide range of categories for such clients as Procter & Gamble, AT&T, LVMH, L’Oréal, Avon, She Should Run, and Disney Studios.  Ms. Bernard also helped launch brands like Xbox Kinect, Paul Newman’s Serious Fun Camps, P&G’s Align, and many more. Email Rachel.
    Related Searches
    • Fragrance
    • lvmh
    • chanel
    • design
    Suggested For You
    Tekni-Plex Reveals First-of-Its-Kind Sniff-Seal Technology Tekni-Plex Reveals First-of-Its-Kind Sniff-Seal Technology
    Global Pore Strips Market Worth $2.7 Billion by 2026 Global Pore Strips Market Worth $2.7 Billion by 2026
    Color Cosmetics: Packaging Self-Expression Color Cosmetics: Packaging Self-Expression
    Target Launches Exclusive Fragrance collection Target Launches Exclusive Fragrance collection
    Skin Inc Plans for Expansion with New COO Skin Inc Plans for Expansion with New COO
    Target Launches First, Exclusive Fragrance Collection Target Launches First, Exclusive Fragrance Collection
    Hair Care Heats Up Hair Care Heats Up
    P&G Second Quarter Net Sales Rise 3% P&G Second Quarter Net Sales Rise 3%
    Edgewell Personal Care To Acquire Jack Black Edgewell Personal Care To Acquire Jack Black
    ‘Art of Packaging’ Gala to Honor Industry Supplier ‘Art of Packaging’ Gala to Honor Industry Supplier
    Marc Jacobs Beauty Marc Jacobs Beauty's New Campaign Features Kaia Gerber
    HiMirror Mini Named CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree HiMirror Mini Named CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree
    21 Stand-Out Gift Sets 21 Stand-Out Gift Sets
    Global HDPE Bottles in Beauty Global HDPE Bottles in Beauty
    NJPEC POY Awards: White Diamonds Earns Color Optics ‘Gift Sets-Gold’ NJPEC POY Awards: White Diamonds Earns Color Optics ‘Gift Sets-Gold’

    Related Breaking News

    • Tekni-Plex Reveals First-of-Its-Kind Sniff-Seal Technology

      The liner enables scent permeation without affecting the seal.
      03.28.18

    • Skin Care/Sun Care
      Global Pore Strips Market Worth $2.7 Billion by 2026

      Global Pore Strips Market Worth $2.7 Billion by 2026

      TMR's new report forecasts growth but says more consumers have doubts about the benefits of pore strips.
      03.22.18

    • Compacts | Cosmetics | Design Capabilities | Lipstick packages | Package Development | Plastics | Turnkey
      Color Cosmetics: Packaging Self-Expression

      Color Cosmetics: Packaging Self-Expression

      Personalization, palettes, refillable--and pizzazz--top the list in cosmetic packaging.
      Jamie Matusow, Editor-in-Chief 03.07.18


    • Fragrances
      Target Launches Exclusive Fragrance collection

      Target Launches Exclusive Fragrance collection

      ...
      03.07.18

    • Skin Inc Plans for Expansion with New COO

      Skin Inc Plans for Expansion with New COO

      Cooper McGuire takes the lead as the brand expands its e-commerce operations.
      03.07.18

    Loading, Please Wait..
    Trending
    • Ranking The Top 50 Cosmetic Companies
    • Alicia Keys Introduces Keys Soulcare’s First SPF Skincare Offering
    • The Top Skincare And Beauty Trends Of 2022 So Far
    • 4 Key Beauty Trends For 2023 By Trendalytics
    • Top Beauty Brands In The US—Ranked By Cosmetify
    Breaking News
    • Alicia Keys Introduces Keys Soulcare’s First SPF Skincare Offering
    • Kylie Gets Backlash for Makeup Lab Photo Shoot
    • Redken Celebrates Hair Gloss Day
    • e.l.f. Beauty Shares Q1 2023 Results
    • Sally Hansen Unveils Limited-Edition Insta-Dri X Sour Patch Kids Collaboration
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    July/August 2022

    • Cosmoprof Bologna Welcomes Back the Beauty Industry
    • Stick Packaging: Stick Formats That Stack Up for Beauty
    • Reaping the Dividends of Customized Stock Packaging
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    3i Solutions Announces New Leadership Positions
    INS Nutra Opens Gummy Manufacturing Facility
    Vital Nutrients Launches First Vegan Omega Supplement with SPMs
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    ICP Building Solutions Group Names Sami Rahman New Chief Commercial Officer
    Tnemec Introduces Series 21 Epoxoline
    Make UK Defence Collaborates with HMG Paints
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    MPO's Most-Read Stories This Week—Aug. 6
    Ampersand Capital Partners Invests in Sterling Medical Devices
    ICG Acquires Seaway Plastics Engineering
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Datwyler to Double Capacity at Production Ops in Pune
    Thorne HealthTech, AstraZeneca Entend AI Discovery Alliance
    Aptar Pharma Acquires Worldwide Rights to Pharmaxis’ Orbital Inhaler
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Alicia Keys Introduces Keys Soulcare’s First SPF Skincare Offering
    Kylie Gets Backlash for Makeup Lab Photo Shoot
    Redken Celebrates Hair Gloss Day
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    CEO Named at Ourself, Ulta Beauty’s Digital Investment Fund, Spate Insight
    UK Society of Cosmetic Scientists Launches New Introduction to Cosmetic Science
    Metallic Eyeshadow, Body Glitter and Glow Blush Top Latest Beauty Searches: Spate
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Weekly Recap: Zeller+Gmelin, Epple Druckfarben Lead This Week’s News Stories
    A-Flex Label Adds Epson SurePress UV Digital Label Press
    Ball Announces 2Q 2022 Results
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    FLAG to hold roundtable event at Labelexpo Americas
    Premier Packaging expands, Resource Label promotes culture and more
    Labelink acquires Taylor Label and The Label Factory
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Weekly Recap: A New Day for Hygiene, Glatfelter Reports Q2 Results & More
    Dyper Achieves B Corp Certification
    Edgewell’s Sales Grow
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    ODT's Most-Read Stories This Week—Aug. 6
    Spineology Releases Endoscopic, Single-Tubular Retractor Fusion System
    GreenBone Signs Distribution Agreement for its Regenerative Scaffold
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    Weekly Recap: STMicroelectronics, NextFlex and onsemi Top This Week’s Stories
    Zebra Technologies Reports 2Q 2022 Results
    InnovationLab Demonstrates New PCB Production Method Based on Additive Manufacturing

    Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login