Cosmopolitan Magazine entered the competitive fragrance market earlier this month with Eau de Juice, a four-scent collection developed in collaboration with LUXE Brands. Retailing for $55 each, the whimsically designed line debuted exclusively at Ulta Beauty on August 1 and is already showing signs of success.
“Initial data is strong – exceeding our most optimistic projections,” said Nancy Berger, SVP, Publishing Director and Chief Revenue Officer overseeing Cosmopolitan, Seventeen and Women’s Health. “We knew going into launch that the concept was so good. Based on early indications and insight into our audience, we feel that this is going to be a home run.”
Talks for the development of Eau de Juice began almost two years ago and the foray into the fragrance category was a natural extension for the magazine, which reaches an audience of 81 million readers.
“We know from data that our audience has a love of fragrance and our reader spent $2.2 billion on fragrance in the last year. They have a built-in appetite for this category,” said Nancy. “Ultimately, we believe that fragrance is one of the most personal and self-expressive categories in beauty. It’s the thing that people notice when you walk into the room, and the lasting impression they remember when you leave.”
Several considerations were made to develop the brand into an impressive beauty must-have that would appeal to Cosmo’s target Millennial and Gen Z audiences. First, it had to smell good, so the team partnered up with Firmenich perfumers to produce unique scents playfully titled to fit an individual’s mood: Extra Concentrated, 100% Chilled, Love, Unfiltered and Pure Sugar. Second, it had to have a cool-factor, which in today’s digital age, means an Instagram-ready design. Consequently, the packaging, created by Brooklyn-based design team POWERSHOVEL, introduces a unique patent pending, pop-art inspired exterior designed to look like slightly crumpled juice boxes, equipped with a straw and featuring a lipstick mark on the end.
“The design is a play on the word ‘juice,’ which is how the industry refers to fragrance and unknown to the general population. Our girl wants to be on the inside, and Cosmo always takes her there,” said Nancy. “The packaging had to be surprising and something we knew that they would be proud to display in their apartment, on their vanity, post on their Instagram and make a part of their life. We wanted this to be something they felt was a must-have.”
Each scent has its own unique shade: metallic gold, glossy white, soft-touch blue and, of course, millennial pink, and the Cosmopolitan branding is cleverly displayed on the packaging as “served by Cosmo.”
To reach consumers, Ashley Benson was recruited as the brand’s spokesperson, as she resonates with the magazine’s audience. Additionally, scented units will be placed in the magazine starting with the September issue, and there are plans for a strong digital and social push, as well as experiential displays at Ulta, where Eau de Juice is exclusively sold until December. Subsequently, the brand will launch in two dozen international markets in 2020 including the U.K., Germany, Mexico and Australia.
“Our goal is to continue to build a collection of fragrances,” said Nancy. “We are thinking about brand extensions for Eau de Juice as well as other projects that make sense for our brand and for our audience.”
