ROCHAS’ NEW BREW
Byline: Jennifer Weil
PARIS — Rochas hopes to gilt its fragrance business with its new scent for women, Alchimie de Rochas.
The name refers to the Medieval chemical philosophy of turning base metals into gold, explained Valerie Rivelois, marketing director of perfumes at Rochas here. “It is about the transformation of the state of things,” she added at the press party here this week.
The scent will be launched worldwide in October.
The “floral-sensual” scent was blended by Jacques Cavallier of Firmenich. He said the top note contains grapefruit, a rarity in women’s fragrances, as well as black currant and bergamot.
“At the start Alchimie has a green smell. But to create alchemy there must be a contrast, so at the heart I added three flower notes,” Cavallier said. These are acacia, jasmine and passiflore.
For a sensual base he added vanilla, sandalwood and tonka bean.
Alchimie’s orange, pumpkin-shaped bottle was designed by Serge Mansau.
The name of the fragrance is written in Gothic lettering and the inside of the box features esoteric symbols.
Rivelois declined to talk numbers, but industry sources estimated in its first year Alchimie would generate sales of at least $35 million worldwide at wholesale.
Alchimie will be backed by an aggressive print and outdoor advertising campaign.
Rochas executives said they have lined up single-page and double-page print ads, outdoor billboards, 5-ml. samples and scent seals for France.
The campaign will be “quite massive,” with a teaser phase breaking at the end of August, Rivelois said, though she didn’t elaborate on the ad budget.
The line includes a 15-ml. perfume extract for $125; 100-ml., 50-ml. and 30-ml. eaux de toilette for $75, $55 and $35; a 200-ml. body milk for $35; a 200-ml. bath gel for $30, and a 100-ml. deodorant for $20. All prices were converted from French francs according to current exchange rates.