COCO’S YOUNGER SISTER: MADEMOISELLE
Byline: Kerry Diamond
NEW YORK — More than 15 years have passed since Chanel introduced Coco, its scented salute to the founder of the celebrated fashion brand. Now, the company has decided it’s time to boost the franchise with a new fragrance called Coco Mademoiselle.
The scent, which is launching in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Asia in April, is targeted at a younger customer than the average Coco user. Specifically, Chanel is looking to attract women in their 20s and 30s, but not teens.
“There may be some overlap with Coco, but the idea is not to get Coco fans to wear this,” explained Laurie Palma, Chanel’s vice president of fragrance and Internet marketing. “We already have a solid business with Coco.”
Although she declined to give a sales target, Palma said that Coco Mademoiselle could double the Coco business. According to industry sources, Coco Mademoiselle could do more than $15 million in the U.S. in first-year retail sales.
The fragrance was developed by Chanel’s house perfumer, Jacques Polge, who also created Coco. Both scents are in the oriental family and share some notes, but they are distinct fragrances. “It’s a completely different fragrance,” Palma said. “Jacques found a way to make it more modern. He’s added vanilla and a white musk note. It’s very sexy. We don’t want it perceived as Coco Lite or Diet Coco.”
The accords in Coco Mademoiselle include top notes of bergamot and orange, a heart of jasmine and morning rose petals, and a base of patchouli, vanilla, vetiver and white musk.
The name of the fragrance came about because Coco Chanel was always referred to as Mademoiselle. In fact, the sign on her office door at Chanel’s Rue Cambon headquarters read simply Mademoiselle. The sign still hangs there to this day.
The ad campaign for Coco will center around a visual of the popular new model Anouck shot by Patrick Demarchelier. The tag line reads “Watch Out, Monsieur!” Eight million of the scented-strip ads will run in magazines starting in April. Twelve million scented direct-mail pieces have been produced.
Coco Mademoiselle will be available in a 1.7-oz. eau de parfum spray for $60 and a 3.4-oz. size for $85. The bottle has the distinctive Chanel shape and features the logo frosted and etched into the glass.
A Coco Mademoiselle Deluxe gift set will ship in late March. Priced at $100, it will feature a 1.7-oz. eau de parfum spray and a Glossimer lip gloss and nail polish in the new Coco Mademoiselle reddish pink shade.
