Targeting the man of the world who harbors an inner Navy SEAL, fragrance makers are packaging their scents in containers suggestive of weaponry.
“The concept for the grenade bottle came pretty easily,” said Viktor Horsting of the design duo Viktor & Rolf, referring to their men’s fragrance Spicebomb. “It was a matter of fine-tuning to create a chic and sophisticated weapon of seduction.”
The marketing strategy seems to be working. According to numbers provided by the industry analyst group NPD Fine Market, Spicebomb has been a top-five seller since its debut in 2012. This spring, Viktor & Rolf has repeated the tactic: a new cologne, Spicebomb Eau Fraiche, is packaged in a similar flacon.
“It’s definitely one of the cooler designs out there,” said Anthony Shaw, a nonprofit executive in Brooklyn who recently started wearing Spicebomb.
The fragrance itself that’s inside counts, but at a price of $85 for 1.7 ounces, the look of the bottle is also important, he said. “I see my wife’s fragrances, and they’re all in these beautiful bottles,” Mr. Shaw said. “Men’s colognes before were really just blocks of glass. I’m just glad somebody put some time and thought into it.”
“Men care more about packaging in fragrance and grooming products than women,” said Brian Boye, the fashion and grooming director at Men’s Health magazine. “Especially when we’re talking about something that can easily skew feminine in the minds of some guys, presentation is critical.”
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Valentino’s recently released Edition Noire version of its Uomo fragrance comes in a matte-black studded bottle ($95 for 3.4 ounces, at Nordstrom). A canteen that appears to be have been run over by a tank is the container for Versace Man Eau Fraiche ($74 for 1.7 ounces).
The new packaging is aimed more at men who shop for themselves than at those who await a gift from a spouse. “Fragrance counters are scary places for us,” Mr. Boye said. “We want to get in and out as quickly as we can. So what will grab our attention faster? An elegant glass bottle or something that looks like a grenade or flask?”
